A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce
by James D. Fawkes
Summary: An unforseen event has destroyed Konoha, leaving Naruto and Hinata as the only surviving Leaf Ninja. After hunting down the culprit, Naruto and Hinata make a trip back in time, armed with the knowledge to save the future. NaruHina KakaRin
1. Broken Wings

_Been a long road to follow…Been there and gone tomorrow…without saying "Goodbye" to yesterday…_

_Oh the memories of hope, still they're left…Oh hath the tears deluded them?_

_Maybe there's time tomorrow…the rain will cease to fallow…And the mists will fade into one more today…_

_Something somewhere out there keeps calling…Am I going home?…Will I hear someone…singing solace to the silent moon?_

_Zero Gravity…what's it like?_

_Am I alone?…Is somebody there beyond these heavy aching feet?…Still the road keeps telling me to go on…_

_Something is pulling me…I feel the gravity…of it all…  
_Gravity, from Wolf's Rain, performed by **Maaya Sakamoto**

**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce  
By: **James D. Fawkes

**Chapter One: Broken Wings  
— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

Two shadowed warriors leapt through the trees, searching for a certain man. Both were no older than nineteen, one male and the other female. They worked in tandem, moving at the same speed, using strikingly similar movements as they neared their goal. For nearly three years, they had been searching for this man, and they'd finally managed to catch up with him. They had answers they wanted from him and they would get those answers no matter what.

"Can you see him?" the male asked, red eyes locking onto his teammate.

"Yes," she answered, her lavender eyes seeming to glow in the darkness of the evening. "He's up ahead, about three hundred yards."

A bit of moonlight streamed down through treetops, reflecting off of the male's forehead protector, revealing a leaf-like symbol carved into the metal plate. Any ninja would be familiar with it; it belonged to a Konoha shinobi, one of the last left alive.

Five years ago, a missing-nin from Konoha by the name of Orochimaru had infiltrated his old village, seeking out a Konoha Chuunin called Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke, who, at the time, had been going out on a date with another Leaf Chuunin named Haruno Sakura, had been quickly beaten. Sakura had tried to defend him while he recovered from the surprise attack, but she had been killed.

Orochimaru took his chance and placed his Cursed Mark on the grieving and crying Sasuke, but hadn't expected the results. Sasuke unleashed a power that was not entirely his own and not entirely the Curse Seal, destroying the Snake Sennin entirely. Before anyone could identify what the power was or what it could do, both it and Sasuke had disappeared from the Leaf Village.

Then, two years later, a humanoid beast strongly resembling the dead Sakura returned and decimated Konoha, leaving conical craters in the earth, courtesy of the large nail-like object slung across its back. Reports described the creature as having Sakura's face, hair, and body wearing a red dress with pink-feathered wings protruding from its back and shackles with broken chains hanging from its wrists and ankles.

Now, this man and his partner were the only ones left. The rest of Konoha, including the two remaining Sannin and all of the other ninja, was gone. No one else remained alive, simply because, by a twist of fate, the man and his partner had been on a mission when the attack had happened.

The man knew that his partner and the man they were searching for were the only ones precious to him now. He'd seen and buried all the bodies of his friends: Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi, Kakashi's lover, Rin, Nara Shikamaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Hyuga Hiashi, Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee…and so many more that he had known. They were all gone now.

The man and his female partner broke through the foliage, landing in the clearing where their target rested. The man they'd been looking for raised his own red eyes to look at his company, a grin spreading across his face.

"Ah. Naruto-kun, Hinata-san, please sit," the man's voice was silky and smooth, yet harsh and deep, a perfect blend of Itachi and Orochimaru. "I've been waiting for you, and so has _she_."

"Sasuke," Naruto acknowledged with a slight nod. He'd come here for answers, not tea and pleasant conversation. "Why'd you do it?"

"We'll talk of that later," Sasuke insisted, gesturing to the stumps in the clearing. "Now, please, Hinata-san, Naruto-kun, sit."

"No," Hinata said firmly. "We want answers, Sasuke-san. Why did you destroy Konoha?"

Sasuke sighed, sipping tea from the cup in his hands. He stared into the bonfire, as if seeking out the answer. Silence reigned.

"They'd forgotten _her_," he said finally, a semi-regretful look on his face. "They'd forgotten about _her_, so I had to remind them that _she_ existed. _She_ just got a little overexcited, and _she_ wound up destroying the whole village. I knew, though. I knew _she_'d spared you."

"'_She_'?" Hinata asked, arching an eyebrow.

"The surviving logs described the destroyer of Konoha as a creature strongly resembling Haruno Sakura," Naruto said calmly. "If 'She' is Sakura…then 'She' is dead, Sasuke."

"_She_ was gone for a while," Sasuke admitted, closing his eyes as he chuckled. "And when _she_ returned, _she_ may have looked a little bit different, but I _knew_ it was _her_."

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Naruto sighed, pulling his katana from its sheath, "But you've gone too far."

"Naruto-kun is right, Sasuke-san," Hinata unsheathed her own sword, holding the thin, double-edged blade in front of her body, "You must be stopped."

Sasuke chuckled, standing, unperturbed by their behavior as he pulled two katana from behind his back, one familiar, the other new. He smirked, "Roar for me, Shin'enga. Cry, Saku-hime."

Saku-hime turned pink, a fine sheen of chakra covering it.

"Sing, Benihime," Hinata whispered, her sword seeming to glow. The dull gray blade became a shining silver, glinting softly in the darkness. She gripped the hilt tightly, the smooth beige wood rubbing against her palm.

"Howl, Zansatsu," Naruto murmured, Sharingan whirling as the blade of his own sword came to life with a crimson chakra aura that was visible only to those with the right doujutsu. To the naked eye, the only change was a slight increase in length.

It wasn't clear who started it, but soon, the three of them were locked in an epic sword battle, their steel blades clashing loudly. It was a fight to the death, anyone could tell that much. Naruto and Hinata might be reluctant to do so, but killing Sasuke was quickly becoming the only obvious way to prevent him from destroying other villages. Even Itachi wouldn't stand a chance should his little brother have unleashed the beast that he had control over.

To an outsider, or to any observer, whether or not they were versed in the art of Kenjutsu, the battle looked more like a dance than anything else. Each movement was graceful and purposeful. Despite the flashy and magnificent motions, no energy was wasted, which seemed contradictory to what appeared to be happening.

Spin, sidestep, stab, parry, block. Naruto's sword moved with amazing speed and precision, clanging as it slammed into Shin'enga over and over. Duck, dodge to the left, block, vertical slash, parry, spin. Naruto could barely suppress his surprise. Even fighting two opponents, Sasuke was still holding his own. Sasuke, who should be _miles_ behind him when it came to sword skill, was fending off both Naruto _and_ Hinata, whom Naruto himself had taught.

_Where_ had he learned to fight like that? _Who_ taught him?

CLAUNG! Hinata grasped the hilt of Benihime with both hands, pushing against Saku-hime with all her might. Her Byakugan active, Hinata could see a delicate pink aura dancing along the length Saku-hime, almost _teasingly_ prodding Benihime's rosy aura. Hinata had to suppress a growl of frustration.

_Whatever_ Saku-hime was made out of, it negated Benihime's ability to cut through _anything_. And that's what made Hinata frustrated. Against all the other sword users she'd met on the way to finding Sasuke, none of their swords could resist the cutting and precision melting that allowed Benihime to slice through steel.

_What_ was Saku-hime made out of?

Sasuke jumped back away from his opponents, grinning as he slipped Saku-hime into her/its sheath on his back. With his grin growing ever wider, he wrapped both of his hands around Shin'enga's hilt, gathering a large amount of Chakra.

"_Bankai_," he whispered, his whirling Sharingan dancing with maniacal mirth.

There was a blinding explosion of chakra. It was so bright, Naruto had to close his eyes, for fear of losing his sight. Hinata, likewise, deactivated her Byakugan, throwing her left arm in front of her own pallid orbs, shielding them. To her, it was like looking into the sun.

As the chakra settled, the pair of ninja chanced a look at what had been summoned; of what inhabited Sasuke's sword, Shin'enga. Both grimaced.

A large beast about half the size of Shukaku snarled at them, baring its colossal fangs. It stood on four legs, towering over its master, Sasuke. Red and black fur warred for dominance over its body, with black taking the majority. Ivory teeth, almost all of which were deadly sharp, gleamed from their place in its maw. Similarly pale claws protruded from the furry pads of its paws, digging lightly into the earth. Red eyes glared down at Naruto and Hinata as it stood protectively in front of the man who had summoned it.

The duo jumped back much the same way that Sasuke had, putting distance between them. Then, they too focused their chakra, again, much in the same way Sasuke had.

"_Bankai_," both said quietly, their gazes steely.

Another two flashes lit up the night. Condensed as they were, they were no less bright than the explosion of chakra that Sasuke had caused.

When the blinding light had disappeared, Naruto and Hinata were revealed again.

A dark, ruby red, ankle-length haori rested on Naruto's shoulders, ragged and old-looking. The sleeves seemed to have been torn off, showing the short sleeves of his black tee shirt and the form fitting elbow-length fishnet shirt beneath. It cascaded down his body, covering the sides of his shirt, red obi, and black cargo pants. A serious scowl fit Naruto's face; the only obvious changes to Naruto and his sword were the haori and Zansatsu's hand-guard transforming from a circle into a four-point star.

A pale, sleeveless, lavender haori had found its place on Hinata's shoulders, reaching down to her knees. Several rose designs were stitched into it at seemingly random spots, decorating it in a beautiful floral pattern. It flowed down over her tight black shirt, stretching past her own violet obi and covering the sides of about three-fourths her navy pants. Benihime herself looked no different.

Sasuke laughed, "Is that it? A little costume change? What a pathetic _Bankai_."

He looked up at the physical manifestation of his sword's spirit, "Crush them."

A gigantic paw came crashing down, but it hit nothing but dirt. Its targets, Naruto and Hinata, had disappeared before it could touch them. They'd gotten faster.

Naruto landed on a low tree branch (which was considerably higher than where he'd been standing), crouching on the wooden limb. Pushing a little chakra to his legs, he leapt from his spot out into the open, hovering in midair as the height of his jump met gravity and fought for dominance.

"Getsunagi!(Moon Cutter)" a swing from Naruto's sword brought an arc of white chakra, sending it soaring towards Sasuke (and, by proxy, the creature protecting him.)

Shin'enga caught the blast in his mouth, crushing the solidified energy with his oversized fangs. It dispersed into tiny particles that slowly, but surely, disappeared. Naruto, seeing his attack fail, landed softly and vanished again. He'd accomplished his goal: Distract Shin'enga.

Hinata dashed between Shin'enga's forelegs, rushing forward and slashing at Sasuke. He blocked with his own sword, and another deadly dance began. Hinata brought Benihime down, sending a vertical slice at her opponent. Sasuke's sword came up above his head and formed a horizontal block, stopping her attack instantly. Bringing his left hand up, he set it up against the dull side of his sword. Putting all his strength and a fairly large amount of chakra in his arms, he threw Hinata away from himself, forcing her back to where she started.

Naruto appeared again right next to his partner, a conspiratorial grin on his face. He glanced at Hinata and she nodded, a slight grin on her face as well. Their plan had worked.

Sasuke fell to his knees as he realized, between summoning Shin'enga and pushing Hinata back, he'd used up to much chakra to maintain his _Bankai_. He glared at the two responsible for his exhausted state, Sharingan fading into pitch-black irises. It seemed that he'd been beaten.

Panting, Sasuke smirked as he realized something else. He still had one card up his sleeve. So, he pulled that card out, releasing nearly all of his remaining chakra as well as an amazingly loud scream, "Haaaaaaaaaa!"

Naruto and Hinata stepped back as the chakra became visible to the naked eye. It grew and grew, taking on a humanoid shape as it did so. It twisted and morphed beyond human recognition, changing to pink somewhere along the way.

In a bright flash, the massively enlarged and mutated body of Haruno Sakura rejoined the world for another time, an almost conical wooden spike slung across her back.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata spoke quietly, stunned at the sudden appearance of her supposedly dead friend, "is that…?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered almost as quietly. "Now, it's our turn, Hinata-chan."

Nodding, Hinata distanced herself from Naruto, biting her thumb and flipping through hand seals as she did so. Naruto gathered a large sum of the Kyubi's youki, slowly unraveling the seal on his right arm. As he felt and saw Corbenik take shape, he threw it all outwards, forcing it from his body.

"SKEITH!"

In an explosion of red, Skeith appeared, rejoining the land of the living. Throwing its crowned head and lanky black arms back, it roared, despite the most obvious lack of a mouth.

Corbenik was, by far, the most human looking, just as Naruto had designed it to be. Red and black armor wrapped around a generous female torso, fitting tightly around the chest and slender abdomen. The shoulder straps were fishnet mesh, sleeveless, leaving the pale toned arms bare to the world. Jounin style pants covered the majority of her/its legs, disappearing into white bandages halfway down the shins. Tabi and zori covered the feet. All of its waist length indigo "hair" cascaded down its back, held there by what appeared to be three hair clips. A sword, vaguely reminiscent of Benihime, was clutched in its right hand.

Tarvos's, which was what Kyubi had identified Sasuke's Avatar as (though he didn't tell Naruto how he knew), wings spread in an effort to stabilize the lean figure as it reached behind itself and grabbed something from within the massive wooden stake on its back.

Before it could reveal its new weapon, Corbenik had rushed forward, grabbing below the shackle on Tarvos's left wrist, preventing it from unveiling its attack. Skeith came forth next, slashing the holster that traveled diagonally over his enemy's torso with his blade of red chakra, dropping the stake to the ground with a dull but loud crash.

As Skeith completed the swing, his left arm shot out, hitting Tarvos in the face with the other end of his scythe. Taking this chance, Corbenik tightened her grasp around Tarvos's left arm, still within her hand. Stabbing her sword into the ground, Corbenik grabbed her enemy's arm with both hands, swinging Tarvos around and throwing it to the ground.

As the tip of Skeith's scythe sank into Tarvos's stomach, a keening shriek left the Avatar's feminine mouth. Then, in a flash of pink, Tarvos disappeared, Skeith and Corbenik following its lead in twin flashes of red.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Naruto rushed towards the fallen, unmoving form of Sasuke as fast as his exhausted feet could carry him, dropping to his knees as he reached his cousin's side. He slid his right arm behind Sasuke's neck, propping the Uchiha heir's shoulders on his right leg. He barely noticed as Hinata sank to her knees next to him.

"N-Naruto?" Sasuke's half-lidded eyes focused on the blonde as he coughed, blood trickling from his mouth. "That you?"

"Yeah," Naruto whispered shakily. "And Hinata's here too."

"I-I can," Sasuke smiled weakly, even as increasingly violent coughs shook his frame, bringing more blood to his lips. His eyes were glazing over, death reaping its reward. "I c-can see her, N-Naruto."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, trying to keep the quiver from his voice. Hinata remained silent, understanding that this moment was meant to be between the last two Uchiha (Naruto and Hinata had already disposed of Itachi; _Bankai_ was very useful for that).

"I-I can see," he took a breath as his blood-filled lungs lost a lot of capacity. "S-Sakura-chan. Sh-she's waiting for me."

"N-Naruto?" Sasuke's eyes roamed around.

"I'm here, Sasuke," Naruto said, grasping his cousin's hand.

"I can't see you," Sasuke said, sounding desperate. "H-hold my hand."

Naruto hesitated as the words sank into his ears, "…I-I am holding it."

"I-I can't feel it!" Sasuke's desperation had reached a new level. With a large gasp, Sasuke's body seized up, then fell limp.

With his left hand, Naruto reached up and closed Sasuke's blank eyes, tensed and trying not to sob. Hinata's hand fell onto his shoulder as he set Sasuke down and he grabbed it with his own, a single tear falling down his cheek.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata gave his shoulder a squeeze. "I can…"

"N-no," Naruto answered the unfinished question, a funny prickling, one that had nothing to do with tears, settling in his eyes. "H-he's better off now. To bring him back…he'd just be in more pain."

Naruto and Hinata stood, facing one another. Wiping away the last of his tears, he opened his eyes, staring straight into hers. She let out a gasp.

"N-Naruto-kun!" she sounded amazed. "Your Sharingan!"

The confusion lasted only a second as the realization settled in. He'd just killed Sasuke. Which meant…

"The Mangekyou," he frowned, pulling the last remnants of chakra from his eyes. It was just a reminder of what he'd done.

Naruto sighed, walking towards the edge of the clearing and sitting down at a tree trunk, elbows resting on his knees. Seconds past as Naruto just sat there and Hinata just stood next to Sasuke.

Finally, Naruto spoke, "We're going to start over, Hinata-chan."

Hinata nodded, looking thrice her age all of the sudden, "Yeah. But where are we going to go, Naruto-kun? Sunagakure was the only _real_ ally Konoha had, and Sasuke—"

"No, that's not what I meant," Naruto interrupted. "We're going to fix all of this by starting over and preventing it from happening."

"You're speaking in riddles again, Naruto-kun," Hinata informed him, smiling teasingly in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"You're right," Naruto gave a weak grin in return. "What I meant was that we're going to go back in time."

"Back in time, Naruto-kun?" Hinata looked disbelieving, like he was telling her that Shikamaru had actually been into guys instead of girls, and that Ino had just been cover to keep anyone from knowing.

"I've already done it once," Naruto assured her. "And after that, I realized the all too real possibility of something going wrong again, so I made a Jutsu that could take you, me, and Fuzzy back in time. Took me about ten years, but I have it all figured out. Of course, I'll have to borrow a lot of his chakra, and I'd have had to do so anyway, but it _should_ work."

Hinata remained silent for a second, then a frowned with grim determination, "Okay, Naruto-kun. Let's do it."

Nodding, Naruto stood and pulled his sword from its resting-place, etching a circle around himself and his wife. Hinata could only watch in fascination as he proceeded to carve a design of some sort beneath their feet, chiseling several kanji and hiragana characters, as well as a few animal drawings, into the dirt below her toes. When he was finished, he stabbed not just his own sword, but Benihime into the blank center of the design, throwing the scabbards away because he claimed they were useless.

"Okay, Hinata-chan," Naruto said, standing in a relaxed posture. "We're going to have to do the hand seals at the same time. This was originally only meant to take me back, since I thought that me being alone would be the only reason I would do this. You're going to be piggy-backing, so you'll have to pitch in your own chakra."

Hinata nodded.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto woke groggily, his head pounding and his body sore. Slowly, he sat up in his bed, the comfy sheets falling off his torso. One hand reached up to his spiky locks, trying to quell his headache.

'_Ugh,'_ he moaned mentally. _'Did it work?'_

"**Yeah,"** Kyubi answered. **"And I brought you a present, too. I've got some bad news, though…"**

'_Tell me the bad news later,'_ Naruto grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Naruto peeked an eye open against the morning sun and grinned, _'You brought Zansatsu back! Did you bring Benihime back for Hinata?'_

"**Yup,"** came the reply. A snicker followed, **"Oh, but it gets **_**much**_** better! Try Shikai."**

Naruto stood from his bed and grabbed the hilt of his sword, paying no notice to the burgundy hand guard that had taken on the shape of a four-point or the missing tassel. The sheath was gone, but even the Kyubi could only affect what he had to work with. He grinned as the familiar weight settled into his hand, "Howl, Zansatsu."

He expected his sword to lengthen. He expected to feel a powerful pressure suddenly fill the room as the sword released its power. But…

Nothing happened.

With a frown, he tried again, pushing some of his chakra through the blade, "_Howl_, Zansatsu."

Again, nothing happened.

'_Kyubi!'_ Naruto called angrily. _'What happened?'_

"**Even I am not totally sure,"** the beast admitted, giving the mental equivalent of a shrug. **"But if you're looking for someone who could tell you, I'd suggest heading down to that weapons shop and asking the guy there."**

'_Right,'_ Naruto sighed, changing into his clothes, not realizing that he was putting on a pair of _orange_ pants with his black tee shirt.

'_Wait,'_ he paused as he realized he didn't know what time he had landed in. _'What day is today?'_

"**The day before the team assignments,"** the reply was lazy at best. **"Oh, and I'd suggest sealing up that extra chakra you brought back with you. You're fine now, but, in a few hours, when your body gives up on trying to adapt for all that extra chakra that's being generated because of the temporal paradox, you'll explode."**

Naruto froze, _'What?!'_

"**You heard me,"** there was a yawn. **"Now, I'm going to sleep. You can handle everything on your own."**

Naruto asked the question that even Kami-sama shrugged at.

Why did everything have to happen to him?

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto scratched the back of his right hand as he entered Urahara Shoten. Two seals were on that arm now. One to control Skeith, the other holding back and constantly absorbing the extra chakra his body made. He'd made the seal extra big (in storage capacity, not physical size; it'd stretch across both arms if it were the latter) so that it never ran out of space as the amount of chakra within it continually increased. In reality, it only took up the back of his hand (he'd also condensed Skeith's seal so that it only took up the side of his upper arm; it was less noticeable).

"Oi!" he called out as he closed the sliding door. "Mister Hat and Clogs!"

The was a swish as another sliding door, or Shoji, opened, revealing a man wearing a striped, green and white hat, a beige kimono, and an olive drab hakama and black haori. His blonde hair framed his face, a small portion of his bangs falling down to the top of his nose. On his feet, he wore wooden geta. He smirked, snapping the oriental fan in his hand shut, "I thought I told you to call me either Kisuke or Urahara."

Naruto laughed a little, walking closer to one of the few adults that respected him. He pulled his sword from his back, handing it to the man, "I've had a few problems with my sword there. The first, and most obvious, it needs a new sheath. The second though…"

Naruto sighed, running his hand through his spiky gold locks, "It's a special type of chakra blade whose powers activate by calling its name, which it chooses itself, and a command. I've tried that, and just recently, it stopped working."

"Oh?" Kisuke ran a hand over the polished steel. "Do you have an idea why? I've got an inkling, but I want your input, too."

"I might," Naruto said. "It was working fine until yesterday, when I used quite a bit of Fuzzy's chakra. But that's the only reason I can think of…"

"Come to think of it," Naruto took a closer look at his sword. "It's changed. The hand guard is shaped differently, its longer, and the tassel is missing. What do you think, Kisuke?"

"Well…" Kisuke took another look at the sword. "My grandfather encountered this problem before. One of Shukaku's previous vessels paid him a visit, claiming much the same thing you are now. So, he examined it for a few days and came to a conclusion."

"What?" Naruto asked anxiously. "C'mon, what is it?"

"Youki," Kisuke said, handing the katana back to Naruto, "or 'Demonic Chakra' has a very profound effect on swords like yours, because your sword has a soul, as you already know. When they come in contact with a large amount of youki, the soul, for lack of better term, _evolves_, growing more powerful and changing its name."

"So…what?" Naruto asked slowly, trying to absorb all he had been told. "I just have to learn its name again?"

"Yup," Kisuke walked to the side of his shop, looking at something on the wall. "So what color do you want for your sheath?"

"Black," Naruto answered without hesitation. "And could you throw in a sash or something I could use to tie it to my back?"

"Sure," Kisuke moved back to the center of the shop, a long, wooden pole in his hands, as Naruto headed for the door, "And don't worry about paying. You just… owe me a favor."

"Oh, and Naruto," Naruto turned, his hand on the shoji that led outside, "That Hyuga girl came here an hour ago asking for a new sheath, too. Thought that might interest you."

Nodding, Naruto left the shop. Kisuke was weird like that, rarely asking Naruto to pay for his purchases.

As the shoji closed behind the blonde, a raven haired man with long, elaborate, yet simply styled hair stepped from the back of the shop, dressed in a white scarf, black kimono and hakama, and a white haori. His icy blue eyes were locked on Kisuke, "Urahara-kun. Why did you lie to him?"

"Kuchiki-sama," Kisuke acknowledged, nodding slightly. "Tell me, had you been him, would you have believed I'm over a century old?"

"Considering what the boy has in him," a black cat walked up, jumping on top of a shelf to be eye level with the two men, "I don't think he'd have to stretch his imagination much."

"Him believing me wouldn't have been the problem, Byakuya, Yoruichi," Kisuke scratched the side of his head with one index finger, an eye closed. "It's the explanation he might have trouble swallowing."

"You may have a point," Byakuya turned, disappearing as he began to walk. His last words floated in the air, "But he would be stronger from knowing."

Kisuke sighed, "I still don't see why he wants to train Naruto so much."

Yoruichi the cat scoffed, "You're an idiot, Kisuke."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto stiffened as he entered the classroom the next day, a sudden, horrifying realization crashing into him.

Sasuke was scowling, his hands folded in front of his mouth. Sasuke was _emo_ again, and that could mean only one thing.

'_Shit!'_ Naruto curse mentally, his happiness for his new sheath gone. _'I'm in the _original_ timeline!'_

Kyubi chuckled,** "Oh my. Hehe! You're just **_**now**_** figuring this out?"**

'_Shut it!'_ Naruto yelled back. _'I've been more concerned with other areas of my arrival than to notice the minute differences in the original timeline and the one I just came from!'_

"**Oh sure,"** the nine tails said sarcastically. **"Whatever you say, Naruto-**_**chan**_**."**

'_How did this happen?'_ Naruto ignored the teasing jab, too wrapped up in what _should_ have happened and what _actually_ happened.

"**Ah, you see…it's kind of complicated,"** Kyubi paused, trying to find the best words. **"I'll compare it to a video game. As you were dying in the original timeline, you 'saved' your 'game', creating a standard. Then, you went back in time; you 'exited' to the 'main menu'.**

"**When you started over, you created a new 'file' and the changes you made became a part of that. Since you didn't die before you came back in time and you weren't dying as you performed the Jutsu that brought us back here, you didn't 'save' your 'file' and overwrite the standard. You just started another new 'file'."**

'_Aw, shit,'_ Naruto swore. _'So, Hiashi and Neji…?'_

"**Both have a stick shoved up their asses,"** Kyubi answered the unfinished question.

Sighing in frustration, Naruto sat down next to Sasuke, since the seat next to Hinata wasn't open. She shot him a smile and he smiled back, but he didn't feel all that happy at the moment.

"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled, using Ino's distraction to try to occupy the empty seat next to Sasuke.

Naruto arched an eyebrow; he didn't really want to hear it, "What?"

Slightly taken aback by Naruto's tone and attitude, Sakura hesitated, but only for a second, "Move! I'm gonna sit next to Sasuke-kun!"

"You know what?" Naruto smirked lightly. "I don't think I will. You can sit somewhere else."

Before Sakura could steam and rage, Iruka walked into the classroom, "All right, everyone, sit down!"

Naruto scooted over closer to Sasuke, his smirk widening as he let her sit down on the edge of the row. He ignored Iruka (he'd never listened to that speech anyway) in favor of mentally celebrating at his small victory.

"…Next, Team 7," Naruto lent an ear to his sensei, hoping for a small reprieve, but not very sure it would come. "Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura."

Naruto sighed. He'd hoped to have Hinata on his team, if only because he wanted her on his team. He knew the odds had been stacked against (nothing _ever_ happened _just_ because he wanted it to), but he had been hopeful that Sakura would be on a different squad.

Sakura squealed as Ino pouted, happy to be on the same squad as Sasuke. She never noticed the small sigh that escaped not just Naruto's but _Sasuke's_ mouth. She was completely oblivious to how much her new teammates liked her (or disliked her, as the case may be).

"All right, then," Iruka said as he finished calling the last team. "You have three hours before you're due to meet your new sensei. Until then, go ahead and do whatever you want."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

They'd been waiting for three hours. Three damn hours, and Naruto was ready to pull his hair out. He knew Kakashi would be late—Kakashi was always late; it was like a law of nature—but he hadn't realized how dependent he had become on punctuality while he was alone with Hinata.

Oh yes. That only added to his frustration. Hinata had already left with her team, throwing him a wave and a sad smile on her way out. Meanwhile, he was stuck with Sakura the Banshee and Emo-Sasuke, both of whom were annoying him in there own special way. It was all he could do not to scream at the top of his lungs.

Finally, after those three damn hours, Naruto could feel Kakashi walking down the hall. With speed that drew even Sasuke's attention, he whipped out a Kunai and tossed as hard as he could at the door. As the shoji opened, the kunai flew past Kakashi's head, cutting off a few silvery hair strands. Kakashi froze.

"My first impression of you…" Kakashi turned a single, lazy-eyed glare at Naruto. "I don't like you."

Naruto crossed his arms, muttering under his breath, "Serves you right."

Kakashi 'tsk'ed but made no rebuttal, simply saying, "Well then, if you're all through trying to kill me, let's head up to the roof for some introductions."

"Whatever you say, Scarecrow," Naruto stood and moved towards the door, following Kakashi, "Whatever you say."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

On the roof…

Kakashi was leaning on the railing, legs crossed and hands stuffed into his pockets. He was very relaxed, "All right, you three. Let's start with some basic introductions. You know, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future…"

Naruto shrugged, throwing Kakashi an evil grin/borderline smirk, "You first, _sensei_."

In a perfect imitation of Naruto, Kakashi shrugged, "My name is Hatake Kakashi. My likes and dislikes are none of your business. Dreams for the future? Hmm…Well, I have a lot of hobbies."

Sasuke and Sakura stared at him blankly, clearly expecting more. Sakura asked, "That's it?"

Shrugging again, Kakashi pointed at Naruto, "Your turn, blondie."

Naruto rolled his shoulders back, "Name's Uzumaki Naruto. I love Hina-chan. I like Ramen, my sword, and learning Jutsu. I dislike pompous asses that have a stick shoved up their butts." Here, he threw a glance at Sasuke. Sakura glared. "I also dislike the majority of the Hyuga clan and the three minutes it takes to cook ramen. My dream is to become the best Hokage this village has ever seen _and_ to show a certain Uchiha that his power will never measure up to mine."

Sasuke shot him a challenging glare, but Naruto just brushed it off, saying, "Not you, your brother."

Sasuke's glare intensified. Hoping to diffuse the situation, or at least give the Uchiha some time to cool down, Kakashi pointed to the female of the group, "Your turn, pinky."

Sakura beamed, "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like…" she tossed a glance as Sasuke, then giggled and blushed. "I dislike Naruto! My dream for the future…" She shot another glance at Sasuke, blushed, then squealed. Kakashi took this as the sign to move on.

"Your turn," he said, pointing to the resident Uchiha, "Mr. Icicle."

Sasuke gave his patented death glare, then sighed exasperatedly, "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I have few likes, and very many dislikes, one of which is Naruto. And…" he paused, "I don't want to call it a dream, it's more of an ambition. To restore my clan and to kill a certain man."

Kakashi stood still for a moment, then, seeing they were done, stood from the railing, "All right, we'll begin our duties tomorrow with some survival training. Just the four of us."

"But…Sensei," Sakura said, looking unsure of herself. "We already did plenty of that at the Academy."

Kakashi leaned against the railing and chuckled, his eye closed. His voice had an 'I know something you don't know' tone to it, "You guys are gonna flip. You see, the Academy test is just to see if you have what it takes to be Genin. The real test is administered by us Jounin sensei."

Kakashi leered at the newly formed Team Seven, an evil gleam in his eye, "And that test has a failure rate of 66.66 percent."

He turned, taking a small moment to enjoy the looks on their faces, "Bring your ninja gear tomorrow. And don't eat breakfast, you'll puke."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

The three would-be Genin of Team Seven waited impatiently where their sensei had told them to wait. Normally, this might not have made much sense, since they would only be waiting a few minutes. But this team was different. This team had Hatake Kakashi for a teacher, and he was known to be chronically late to everything. So, naturally, they had been waiting for about three hours.

_Clap, clap, clap._

Naruto stood, tapping his sandal-clad foot on the ground. He was wearing a black tee shirt over a fishnet shirt, a long, red obi tied around his waist and a white sash with a clasp slung over his right shoulder and under his left arm. He wore black samurai bracers on his hands (he'd stitched the necessary seals in himself) and similar bands over the ankle wraps that traveled a short distance up his leg. His sandals were black, and so were the cargo pants he had on. His Hitai-ate was tied around his forehead with black cloth.

Kakashi walked into the clearing, a backpack strapped to his torso. He smiled at them, and waved, "Hey guys, good morning!"

"You're late," Naruto said, frowning angrily. He shifted, rolling his right shoulder. His sword had lengthened as a part of the 'evolution', and thus, was more of a nōdachi than a Katana.

Sakura was a bit more vocal about her discontent, "YOU'RE LATE!"

The gray haired man ignored them and set an alarm clock on one of the posts. He poked it and it dinged, then started ticking. Kakashi turned back to them, "It's set for noon."

He held up two bells, "You have until then to take these from me. That is your task for today."

"If you don't get a bell, say good bye to lunch," he continued, "I'll tie you up to one of those logs and eat in front of you. Those who get no bell fail and get sent back to the Academy. That will be at least one of you."

Kakashi tied the bells to his belt loop, "You'll have to come at me with the intent to kill."

Naruto pulled out a kunai, pulling his arm back and began to throw it. Kakashi disappeared, reappearing behind Naruto, positioning the blonde's kunai against the base of his skull.

"I didn't say start," Kakashi chastised. His eye almost widened, though, when he felt something poking him in the back.

"You have Shunshin and your own natural speed," Naruto's voice was analytical as he pushed his blade a little. He grinned as it cut a small hole in the Jounin's vest, "I have those, but I also have something else…Shunpo.

"Shunshin and a person's natural speed both have noticeable effects: air displacement, disruption of surrounding objects…Shunpo has only one such effect: light displacement. As such, it leaves an afterimage."

Kakashi stood still, waiting for one of the Narutos to move.

"Really, Kakashi-sensei," a third Naruto was leaning against a nearby tree, "You shouldn't play with my clones. They can be quite…explosive."

'_So fast,'_ Sasuke marveled, eyes wide. _'Solid clones…and I didn't even see him make a seal for them. Forget replacement! I didn't see _any_ of what he did!'_

Naruto smirked, "Boom."

Kakashi almost jumped out of his skin as the clones disappeared in two loud _pops_ and twin puffs of smoke. He was _sure_ they were going to explode.

Regaining his composure, Kakashi walked back over to his alarm, holding his hand above the start button. Clearing his throat, he said, "Ready…set…go!"

As Sakura and Sasuke fled the area, Naruto rubbed his shoulder and right arm unnoticed. They were aching, partially from chakra overdose and partially from the use of Shunpo before he'd trained his body to use it. His body wasn't accustomed to the high-speed movement of Shunpo, and he his chakra control was deplorable again, so he had wound up using more chakra than necessary. The combined effects left his arm and shoulder, as well as several other places on his body, feeling as though they were on fire.

Kakashi arched his visible eyebrow as Naruto stood from the tree he was leaning on, his arms folded, "You're an odd one."

Naruto smirked, holding back a wince, "The only thing odd here is your hair."

Kakashi was about to pull out his book when Naruto disappeared again in mid-step. Kakashi bent down a bit, throwing his forearm up to block Naruto's kick. There was a loud smack as Naruto's shin collided with Kakashi's arm. Kakashi grimaced, that kick had been enhanced with chakra.

Naruto disappeared again and Kakashi ducked under the second kick from behind. Grabbing Naruto's leg, Kakashi tried to throw Naruto over his shoulder face first into the ground. Twisting his leg free, Naruto's hand hit the ground, propelling him into a one-handed handstand, from which he flipped backwards.

As Naruto stopped to catch his breath, Kakashi pulled out his book. At first, he'd thought Naruto might actually present something of a challenge. But Kakashi had just started and Naruto was already out of breath. Naruto scowled, reaching for the hilt of his sword.

"Why," Naruto ground out through gritted teeth, "won't you take me seriously?"

"You're a Genin," Kakashi said nonchalantly. "I don't need to."

There was a flash of light within the Jounin's vision. He frowned as his book fell into two pieces, cut diagonally down the middle. Kakashi looked up. A long nōdachi rested on Naruto's shoulder, his breathing still slightly labored.

"If you won't take me seriously," Naruto panted, tightening his grip on his sword, "then I'll _make_ you take me seriously."

Scowling beneath his mask, Kakashi disappeared, reappearing behind Naruto. With his index and middle fingers protruding from his clasped hands, he shoved them in a very uncomfortable place, "Konoha Secret Taijutsu: One Thousand Years of Death!"

Kakashi showed no sign of surprise as the Naruto in front of him disappeared in a puff of smoke. He stood again, the serious gleam still in his eye.

A voice chuckled from the trees, everywhere and nowhere at the same time, "Did you enjoy playing with my clone, Kakashi-sensei?"

'_You're good, Naruto,'_ Kakashi shook his still tingling arm, pulling down the sleeve to reveal an already purpling bruise. _'You're better than they say you are.'_

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Sasuke struggled to free himself, wiggling in the dirt prison he had been trapped in. Kakashi shook his head, squatting down so that Sasuke paid attention. Kakashi grinned a little, "You're right, Sasuke, you're different than Naruto and Sakura. You came pretty close to taking that bell."

Sasuke scowled, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. He thought he'd done better than the other two. Kakashi resisted the urge to smirk; he was going to smother that gleam, "Yeah, so that puts you in the middle, right between Sakura and Naruto."

Sasuke's mask slipped, a surprised look on his face, "W-what?"

"Yeah," Kakashi eye-smiled. "By my estimations, had Naruto really wanted to take one of my bells from me, he probably could have." Kakashi shrugged, "Of course, had I been serious, he wouldn't have stood a chance."

Sasuke scoffed, "The dobe? Better than me? I highly doubt that."

"Oh?" Kakashi pulled down his sleeve, revealing the bruise. "Naruto was the one who did this. You, Sasuke, didn't even give me a brush burn."

Kakashi barely caught Sasuke's muttered denial, "Luck had nothing to do with it, Sasuke. Naruto, for being a fresh, Academy graduate, is probably mid to high Chuunin level already. Give him a month or two, and he'll be low Jounin."

Kakashi stood, towering over the buried Sasuke, "You, though, are still only mid to high Genin, low Chuunin at best. Naruto is better than you."

"B-but," Sasuke sputtered, eyes wide, "how?"

"I don't know," Kakashi shrugged. "He's different than the reports said he was, and he's stronger than I've been told. I intend to find out how."

The alarm sounded throughout the clearing, signaling the end of the survival exercise. Kakashi reached down into the earth, pulling Sasuke from the hard ground by his upper arm. As he dragged the Uchiha back to the posts, he had an evil gleam in his eyes.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Sasuke struggled against his bonds, tied to the post on the left. Sakura was leaning opposite him on the post to the right, slowly awakening from the Genjutsu induced sleep she was in. She looked very confused as she laid eyes on the bound Sasuke and the standing, nonchalant Kakashi. She asked, "Wha—?"

"Nice of you to join us, Sakura," Kakashi eye-smiled at her, leaning forward a bit. "Now if Naruto would just…"

"Looking for me, Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi looked up to see Naruto leaning against a tree behind the posts with his arms folded. He saw the blonde wince as he stood, walking slowly to join his teammate.

"Yeah, actually," Kakashi said, as though Naruto appearing from nowhere happened everyday.

Naruto winced again as he sat down at the middle post, "I thought I'd show up for judgement. I didn't have much luck with recruitment or the rescue operation."

"Oh?" Kakashi didn't show his surprise, simply arching his eyebrow. "Well, I suppose that would be so, when you're only candidates are…unavailable."

Naruto shrugged, wincing again. Kakashi's eye narrowed a bit; that was the third time he'd winced, at the very least.

"Well," Kakashi closed his eye as he spoke, a deceptive calm in his voice. "None of you will be going back to the Academy."

Sakura's eyes lit up, "You mean…?"

"Yeah," Kakashi smiled. "Sasuke, Sakura, you should quite as ninja!"

"W-what?" Sasuke stammered.

"You two don't get it, do you?" Kakashi's voice was suddenly cold. "The real reason behind this exercise…you don't understand what it means to be a ninja, do you?"

"B-but what about Naruto?!" Sakura yelled. "Why does he pass?"

"Because Naruto, at least, understood the point of this exercise," Kakashi said, all seriousness intact. "Did you know, Sakura, that when I picked you up, there was a Naruto clone watching over you? I sensed it in the trees."

"Then what was the point?" Sasuke spat, glaring at Kakashi. "What was the reason, the lesson, whatever, behind this exercise?!"

"Teamwork," Kakashi said, watching with hawk eyes as Naruto shifted, wincing again. "The point, the lesson behind this exercise was teamwork. Out of the three of you, Naruto was the only one to realize this."

Sakura sputtered, "B-but—!"

"I'll give you one more chance," Kakashi interrupted, ignoring Sakura's indignant protests. "Sakura, Naruto, you two can eat, but you can't give any to Sasuke. Do so, and all three of you will fail."

Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

As soon as the Jounin was gone, Naruto pointed an index finger in Sasuke's direction, holding back a wince as he gathered chakra in his fingertip.

"Hado Number Four," Naruto intoned, his eye twitching as the chakra burns in his arm reacted to the energy being pushed past them, "Byakurai."

A thin bolt of white lightning shot from his finger, cutting right through the ropes tying Sasuke down. Sasuke shrugged them off as they loosened, looking at Naruto with something akin to surprise and jealousy.

With a groan, Naruto stood, his knees shaking, and grabbed the Bento atop the middle post he had been sitting on. He gasped in pain as he plopped back down, holding the lunchbox out to the raven-haired boy beside him.

As he grabbed it, Sasuke sent him a questioning look, "Why…?"

"I don't sense Kakashi-sensei right now," Naruto rested his head against the post, closing his eyes, "and you need energy, or else you won't be able to fight. I had breakfast, so I'm fine."

There was silence as Sasuke picked up the chopsticks inside the box, and he and Sakura began to eat. On the surface, nothing looked out of the ordinary, but underneath appearances, something else was happening.

Naruto could feel his strength leaving him as unconsciousness fought to take hold of him. His arms burned and his muscles ached, and he knew he couldn't face against Kakashi, if it came to that. He took a deep breath, "Hey guys…you'll have to fight without me…"

Naruto slumped, falling to the ground on his side.

"Naruto!" Sakura gasped, throwing her food aside to go to her downed comrade, even as Kakashi appeared.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

'_An unfamiliar ceiling,'_ Naruto mused as he opened his eyes, glaring at the white expanse above his head. _'But there's only one building in Konoha that has a white ceiling…as far as I'm aware, anyway…"_

With a sigh, Naruto closed his eyes again, _'I'm in the hospital.'_

The mattress groaned as Naruto propped himself up against the pillows behind his head. Kakashi looked up at the noise and eye-smiled, putting his hand up in a wave, "Yo! Good to see you're awake."

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, shifting till he was comfortable. "What happened?"

"You and Sasuke and Sakura passed," Kakashi said, chuckling when Naruto threw him a glare. He grew serious, "You were out for two days. It seems Shunpo has a bad after-affect, huh?"

"Yeah, well…" Naruto glanced to the side, where his sword was propped against the wall. "It requires better chakra control than what I've got, so…"

"So I'm forbidding you from using it until you have the chakra control to do so," Kakashi said. Naruto stared at him like he'd just grown a second head.

"But…Kakashi-sensei!" he protested, eyes wide.

"'Kakashi-sensei' is right, Naruto," Kakashi hadn't lost the serious attitude. "And as such, I am forbidding your use of Shunpo _just_ until you have the chakra control to use it without killing yourself. You had Sakura and Hinata worried sick. _Hinata_ didn't leave until her father forced her to."

"I'm not surprised about Hina-chan," Naruto chuckled, folding his hands behind his head. He threw a glance at Kakashi, "But…Sakura? I'm surprised."

"Well, girls tend to be worried," Kakashi said, his voice losing a portion of its serious edge, "especially since she saw your chakra burns."

"She saw them, huh?" Naruto didn't seem concerned. "Well, then I'm not so surprised. I'm pretty sure seeing _those_ burns would do that to an _enemy_ kunoichi just as much as it would one of ours."

Things were silent for a while, simply because neither had anything to say. Then…

"The doctors said that you would be good for release as soon as you woke," Kakashi said, standing up. "I expect you to meet me and your new teammates tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. I'll tell the doctors that you're awake on my way out."

Kakashi left without another word.

Some minutes after he was gone, Naruto glanced over to the chair next to his bed, where his clothes lay. Without a thought as to what the doctors would do or say, Naruto stood and dressed, slinging his sword over his shoulder and connecting the clasp.

Then, wordlessly and soundlessly, he disappeared out the window.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed and hands clasped in front of him. With every fiber of his being, he concentrated on finding the one place that would assure him victory during battle. He'd been sitting there for three hours…

…and he had yet to find it.

'_Come on,'_ he growled mentally, trying to exert his will on the sword sitting in his lap. _'Speak to me.'_

Suddenly, in a flash of light, Naruto was standing on the side of a steel building the likes of which he'd never seen, glass windows beneath his feet. The sky was a huge expanse, clouds floating by on his left. The ground stood firm on his right, and many, many similar buildings stood in front of him, and, if he looked back, behind him.

The color of the buildings surprised him more than the buildings themselves. They were a neutral shade of blue. It was unnatural, and made Naruto uneasy to be standing on one. The glass, too, was just as blue as the metal framework that made up these monstrosities. Monstrosities that rivaled the Hokage tower in height and girth.

The sky was red, the clouds black, and a luminescent white moon hung in the sky. The ground was a dark gray, and looked unnaturally flat, steely in its appearance. Not a single flower rose from its depths, not a single tree graced its generous proportions.

But Naruto's eyes were not concentrated on the ground, or the sky, or even the buildings. His eyes were focused on the man standing in front of him, wearing only a ragged black cloak and black pants, as far as Naruto could tell.

The man's wavy, tousled hair did not cover his face, excluding the clump that fell between his eyes and hid his nose from view. Strange tan glasses covered the man's eyes, but through them, Naruto could see twin orbs of chocolate that seemed to pierce his soul.

The man's lips moved, but it seemed to take a century for his words to reach the blonde, "Welcome, Naruto."

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, shocked by the man's appearance. He looked like some sort of penniless vagabond.

"My name is Zangetsu," the man said. Once again, it seemed to take an eternity for what he said to reach Naruto's ears.

"What?" Naruto asked, confused. "But…you never said your name."

"I see," the man muttered, more to himself than to Naruto. "So you cannot hear me yet. That is unfortunate."

"What?" Naruto was even more confused. "Of course I can hear you! I just didn't quite catch your name."

"You can hear me," the man told him, "but you cannot yet hear what my name is. You will have to become more in tune with me first."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, still just as confused as ever. "What do I have to do?"

"You will have to stop relying on your strength alone," the man said, having never once moved, "and learn to be in sync with _my_ power. Only then will my name grace your ears. Only then will my true form be granted to you. Only then will my true power be yours to command. And only then will we truly be as one."

Naruto almost shuddered at the solemn finality in the man's voice, "Who are you?"

"The answer to _that_…will come in time, Naruto," came the reply.

In a flash of light, the strange world disappeared.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Is Naruto alright?" the Hokage took a puff on his pipe, sitting in the chair behind his desk. He'd heard word of Naruto's collapse at the training grounds and he'd been left worried. Naruto was like a grandson to him.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kakashi answered, standing in front of the giant oak desk that only a Kage could own. "He's recovered and seems to be fine."

Nodding, the aged man leaned back in his chair, "What happened Kakashi? What was the cause of this incident?"

"Naruto has a powerful technique," Kakashi said, "and I'm not sure where he learned it…or if he made it himself. Whatever the case is, it caused chakra burns and was taxing on several of his muscles. He calls it 'Shunpo'."

"'Flash Step', eh?" Sarutobi had a neutral look on his face. "What's it like, Kakashi?"

"At Naruto's current level of proficiency," Kakashi replied, "I'd say it's a couple times faster than Shunshin. But…when Naruto's mastered it…I'd say it'll probably be on level with Sensei's old Jutsu."

"That fast, huh?" the Third's lips were drawn into a thin line; he was thinking.

"Yes, well," Kakashi interrupted, "I've forbidden him from using it until he has the control to do so without injuring himself this way."

"Good call, Kakashi," the Third praised. "But I don't know if he'll listen to you."

"I don't think he needs to," Kakashi shrugged. "I think the fact that Hinata is worried about him will be enough to prevent him from going against my order…at least, from what I gathered."

Sandaime chuckled, "Kakashi, you sly dog."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Next time…

_A tall, lean figure wearing a ragged black overcoat over top of a ragged, button up shirt and black slacks walked up to Naruto's fading vision. Time seemed to freeze as the figure, his hair a shaggy, shoulder-length black, his face rugged, and a pair of goggle-like tan glasses perched on his nose, stopped in front of Naruto. He bent down, resting one arm on his right knee as he kneeled. He offered a hand._

"_Come on, Naruto," the man said, shaking his hand for emphasis. "It's time for you to get up."_

"_Who are you?" Naruto asked weakly, struggling to keep his head up._

"_I am Zangetsu," the man said, shaking his hand. "Now, it's time to stand up again."_

"_Zangetsu, huh?" Naruto's head fell back down to the earth. "Well I'm sorry, Zangetsu, but I won't be standing again anytime soon. I can barely breath as it is."_

"_But you need to stand, Naruto," Zangetsu laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "If you don't, unspeakable wrongs will be committed against all your precious ones."_

_There was a pause._

"_You're him, aren't you?" Naruto asked, face still in the dirt. "You're the new soul of my Katana?"_

"_I am," Zangetsu said, tightening his grip on Naruto's shoulder. "And if you are unable to stand on your own, know that I will always be here to help you stand."_

_As Zangetsu stood, his hand still on Naruto's shoulder, Naruto could feel his pain and fatigue leave him. He rose from the ground as Zangetsu did, all his ailments seeming to vanish. The sword still clutched in his palm transformed, a Katana once more. The blade straightened, the polished steel turning pitch black as the hilt shrunk a little, the hand guard darkening to dusky raven._

"_Are you ready?" Zangetsu asked as time started to return._

"_I am," Naruto said firmly. "Hoegoe, Zangetsu."_

**— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

**A/N The beginning of Volume 2: Reminisce.**

**I intended to have this out a week ago…sorry. For those of you who are upset with the Avatar battle...sorry. That was the best I could do.**

**Tabi and zori are the socks and straw sandals most people wore in ancient Japan. Now, the Japanese use them like slippers; they wear them inside the house. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, Bleach, or (Dot) Hack.**

**Kenshin, or Battōsai as he was known in Volume 1: Rebirth, will not be making any appearances in here, except for in flashbacks (maybe). The Hiten Mitsurugi style, though, will probably play a part, which is why Rurouni Kenshin is a part of the disclaimer. As for Bleach, Benihime comes from there, and Urahara Kisuke will be making an appearance sometime if he hasn't already (I might throw Tessai and the other "Urahara Shoten" assistants in as well). **

**I think all of you are going to love Naruto's new Shikai, and you'll find it easier to recognize his Bankai, as well as the soul of his Zanpakut­­ō or Katana, which ever you want to call it.**

**Which Shikai command do you like better? Hoegoe (Howl) or Banshou Issai Kaijin to Nase (Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust)?**

**Should I have Byakuya teach Naruto? Yes or no? I mean, there's not much left for Jiraiya to teach Naruto, so what about a Shinigami? Byakuya, Ichigo, Hitsugaya…tell me, who should teach him?**

**Uh oh! Gasp Back in the past! Oh no! In the original timeline, no less! Sasuke's an ass again! Naruto has to train his body again! Hinata's father is cold and uncaring! Neji has a stick shoved in a very uncomfortable place!…Oh, wait. He was worse in Volume 1.**

**Those of you still tuned in, you're gonna love this…and I'm gonna have to figure out how to un-emo Sasuke and make Hiashi and Neji human again, all within the bounds of Naruto's reality… **

**I'm in deep shit, aren't I?**

**As for (Dot) Hack…well, the Avatars are really all I plan to take from there, but…that might change.**

**Updates will be slow for all my stories, due primarily to the school year.**

_**Zero Gravity…what's it like?**_

**James Daniel Fawkes**

_**James Daniel Fawkes**_**(Signature best viewed in **_**Wendy Medium**_** font style)**


	2. On the Precipice of Defeat

A large portion of humanity sees looks and appearances as the most important judge of character, despite the fact that the point behind getting to know someone involves personality over appearance. Thus, the thought process and discretion of the majority of the human race is obviously and noticeably flawed, with this being one of the reasons why.

However, those that point out this flaw are denigrated and persecuted, much like the people humanity views as "ugly" or "disgusting". I myself am painfully aware of this, as I have experienced that denigration and persecution for voicing this flaw in the human race. So I have come to this conclusion:

"_I thought what I'd do was I'd pretend to be one of those deaf-mutes."_

**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce  
By: **James D. Fawkes

**Author's Note: Naruto **_**does**_** still have the Sharingan (read more at the bottom).**

**Chapter Two: On the Precipice of Defeat  
— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

"Oi!" a seventeen-year-old boy with spiky orange hair walked into the old-style Japanese room, brown eyes focusing on the man within. "You called, Yamamoto-taichou?"

"Yes, Kurosaki-taichou," the old man sitting on the floor nodded, gesturing with his hand to the mat in front of him. "Please, sit."

Nodding in return, Kurosaki sat, fidgeting until he was comfortable. Looking towards the man, he said, "So what did you call me for, Yamamoto-taichou?"

"Do you remember, Ichigo-san," Yamamoto began, speaking slowly, "about twelve years ago, when you were called down to earth to fulfill the request of a human man?"

"Yeah," Ichigo answered. "What of it?"

"_Who are you?" a stunned Yondaime asked, staring at the orange haired teenager in formal get up. "Are you the Shinigami?"_

"It seems Kuchiki-taichou has decided to train the boy in whom you sealed that demon. He asked me if he could about a day ago," Yamamoto told him, his tone light, as though discussing the weather. "But I have yet to grant him permission. I want _you_ and Rukia-san to teach the boy, because that boy's Zanpaku-to is…different."

"Zanpaku-to?" Ichigo asked, surprised. "You mean that small bit of Zangetsu he absorbed from me was enough to give him a Zanpaku-to?"

"_Alright, Zangetsu," the Fourth Hokage was only a spectator as the spectral Ichigo played tug-o-war with Kyubi's soul, "this bastard's pretty strong, so I'm gonna need your help with the sealing!"_

"Yes, apparently," Yamamoto nodded. "Although it was much more primitive until a large burst of the demon's youki forced it to evolve. It is, however, far different from yours…mostly."

Yamamoto waved his hand in a dismissive manner, "But that is neither here nor there. The point is, I want _you_ to teach him the uses of a Zanpaku-to and Rukia-san to teach him Kidou, Fifth Division Captain, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"_Here goes!" Ichigo shouted as he pressed his fingers into the stomach of the baby in the Fourth's arms. "Bakudo 101: Forbidden Art: Shiki Fuuin!" (Path of Binding 101: Forbidden Art: Dead Demon Imprisonment)_

"Should I consider this an official order?" Ichigo asked. Yamamoto nodded, his beard swaying a bit.

Ichigo sighed, "Byakuya will be disappointed, you know."

"Byakuya does not know how to teach someone as…spirited as Uzumaki Naruto," Yamamoto told him. "As such, you and Rukia-san shall be his instructors. He will be a great asset after he dies, most especially if he knows the things a Shinigami must know."

Ichigo sighed again, "Well, I don't like it, and I don't think Rukia-chan will either."

Yamamoto smiled, "You and your wife will do just fine, Kurosaki-taichou."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto sat on the floor of the 'mission reception chamber', as he liked to call it, with his back against the wall. He didn't know what it was really called, so he preferred to call it by the name he had given it. Besides, 'mission reception chamber' sounded lame, and, sitting where he was, listening to the old Hokage rattle off D-rank missions for Team Seven to complete, the name seemed to fit.

Naruto sighed and rested his head against the wall. It was eleven in the morning and they'd just gotten back from finding Tora, Madam Shijimi's cat, for what had to be the tenth time in one week. He had several already healing claw marks on his hands and arms, and he was pretty sure his teammates did, too. If he had to find that cat one more time…

A memory popping into his head, Naruto interrupted the Hokage, "Hey, old man, isn't there a more difficult mission you can give us? Like a C-rank escort or something?"

"Naruto," Iruka sighed, going into lecture mode, "Missions are handed out based on the skill and strength level of the ninja they're being assigned to. It's very rare for…" Iruka trailed off as he realized Naruto wasn't listening. "Naruto, pay attention!"

"…'It's very rare for a Genin to go on C-rank missions'," Naruto finished for him, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "I already know all that, Iruka-sensei. But we're ready for a C-rank mission!"

"Naruto…!"

"It's fine, Iruka," the Hokage's chuckled stopped the oncoming rant before it could even start. "If they think they're ready for a C-rank mission, we'll give them one. Are they ready, Kakashi?"

Kakashi shrugged, "They should do fine."

"Alright, then," Sandaime fished through the mission scrolls, picking out what looked to be the easiest C-rank one among them. "Team Seven, your mission will be the escort and protection of a certain individual."

The old man motioned to his Chuunin helper, who escorted an old drunk in from the room next door. The drunk looked at the Genin, then took a swig from his sake bottle.

"They look like a bunch of super brats! Especially that one," he said, pointing to Naruto, "He looks like he couldn't even lift that sword out of its sheath!"

He pointed ignored the pair blue eyes glaring at him, gulping down another huge sip of his rice wine, "I'm the super bridge builder, Tazuna, and I expect you brats to give me super protection until we get back to my country and complete my super bridge!"

— o.0.O.O.0.o — (No matter what, don't stop reading because of this; this is an important part of Naruto's character development.)

As the strange looking entourage (a drunken old man, three kids, and a tall man wearing a mask and reading smut) left the safety of Konoha, Sakura fired question after question about Wave Country at Kakashi and Tazuna, who tried their best to answer her. Sasuke walked silently and pretended to be uninterested while Naruto scanned the road ahead of them.

Naruto hid a grin as he caught sight of a puddle in the road not far ahead of the group. He was itching to use some cool Hado and take a few whacks at the mist duo that would be appearing very soon. Things had been relatively calm for Team Seven, and hacking a training dummy to bits wasn't as fun as fighting a real person, so he had trouble waiting for the confrontation.

He wasn't disappointed.

As soon as Kakashi's back was turned, the Demon Brothers materialized from the puddle, wrapping their deadly chain around the Jounin. With a sharp tug and a sickening squelch, Hatake Kakashi fell to pieces on the ground, done in by the chain's serrated links. In a deep voice, the brother with oily black hair said, "Heh heh, one down."

Gathering chakra in his finger, Naruto watched stoically as the other one rushed towards him, claw poised to kill, "Heh heh, two down."

Naruto pointed at the spot where the chain connected to the clawed gauntlet, a calm concentration on his face, "Hado Number Four: Byakurai."

Lightning flew from his fingertip, four times the size of what had freed Sasuke in the Genin Exam. There was a loud, metallic ping as the chain was ripped from Gozu's claw, forcing him into a stumble. He was unprepared to face Naruto's next attack.

Deciding to vent a little of the frustration he had been feeling because of his predicament, Naruto's hand shot out, grabbing Gozu by the neck. Without hesitation, he slammed the Chuunin into the tree next to him, pinning him against the wood and maintaining the state of shock.

Without a second's hesitation, Naruto released a part of the seal on his palm, a rush of chakra flooding his system. He ignored the pain as the chakra overflow started to take its toll, locking eyes with the man in front of him and forcing all of the extra chakra into his revealed Sharingan.

Gozu could only watch in horror as the tomoe pattern in the blonde boy's eyes morphed, shifting into a tri-bladed shuriken. Then, the world around them disappeared…

When Gozu had a conscious perception of the world again, he was tied to a cross, his arms and legs immovable and his senses dulled. The sky above him was red, the clouds black, and the moon black. Everything was introverted. What would normally be a dark color was now white. What was normally a light color was either black or gray. There were no hues and shades, simply black, white, and gray.

Naruto suddenly appeared before him, his golden hair black, his dark clothes white, and his skin an odd gray. His nōdachi was drawn, held in front of him with a single hand. It too was introverted. The world was silent but for the sound of Naruto's voice, "For the next Seventy-two hours, you will be continually stabbed and mutilated by this sword."

Calmly and without remorse, Naruto's sword impaled itself on Gozu, stabbing him through his stomach. Gozu screamed as a harsh burning sensation appeared in his gut, stopping when Naruto's weapon was withdrawn and the pain dulled to a low throb. There was no wound where the sword had been. He screamed again as the sword pierced through his chest, stabbing his right lung. It was pulled back again, and his body appeared unharmed.

Another stab, this one through his heart. Another, through his throat this time. How he managed to scream was a mystery. Finally, after what seemed to be hours, Naruto paused, his eyes steely.

"Only Seventy-one hours, fifty-nine minutes, and fifty-nine seconds left to go."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto closed his eyes as they faded back to blue, Gozu's terrified scream echoing in his ears. He felt the man in his grasp go limp as he lost consciousness, the horrors of Tsukuyomi too much for him to handle all at once.

'_Did I just…?'_ Naruto asked himself, Gozu slumping to the base of the tree. _'I…I think I did.'_

Naruto's breath left him as he fell backwards, landing on his butt. He had just used Tsukuyomi on someone…for the first time. Why had he done it? He didn't have much of an answer, even as a small amount of remorse wormed its way into his mind. Not much, just a little. Gozu _was_ an enemy, after all.

"Yo," before Naruto could ponder further, Kakashi walked up behind him, Meizu slung over his shoulder. He noticed Gozu's condition, "What happened?"

"High-level Genjutsu," Naruto answered shortly, still a bit shocked. "My first time trying it. Might have overdone it."

Kakashi glanced over at the Chuunin, who, despite his incapacitated state, had his eyes wide open in terror, "I'll say."

And there, with Kakashi as his silent, unwilling, unknowing witness, Naruto swore that the Tsukuyomi would only be used as a last resort. Well, unless he faced Itachi. He'd bend the promise that far. He'd only use his Mangekyou as a last resort, or against Itachi.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Hinata mentally calculated the date as her sensei delivered their mission report, trying to figure out what day it was. As soon as she did, memories of a past that was not this one, yet was undeniably similar, came to the forefront of her mind. In a mildly hesitant voice, she asked, "Hokage-sama? Did Naruto-kun's team go on a C-rank mission recently? An escort mission?"

The Hokage looked surprised, "Why, yes they did. They're escorting an elderly bridge builder named Tazuna."

"Sandaime-sama! Please don't ask why, but you need to send back up for them! They're in danger!" Hinata had no doubt that her husband, nineteen-year-old Uzumaki Naruto, could handle such a mission, but her boyfriend (since they weren't married or engaged in this timeline), twelve-year-old Uzumaki Naruto, would probably find it challenging. "Our team can go! _Please_, Hokage-sama!"

"Well," Sarutobi looked surprised, but bowed to her request. "Alright, your team is officially assigned to this mission. You will give aid and support to Team Seven, assisting them in their mission. The funding for this mission will come directly from the Konoha treasury, you are to leave in the morning."

Hinata smiled, relieved that she could go help and excited to ask Naruto about the strange timeline they were in, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Sandaime smiled a grandfatherly smile, "You're welcome, child."

He wagged the end of his pipe at her, "But sometime after you get back, you'll have to regal me with the story about why this is necessary."

Hinata smiled again, despite the dread that was settling in her stomach, "Of course, Hokage-sama."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto felt a small bit of amusement at the irony only he noticed. Despite traveling in time _twice_, Kakashi's conversation with Tazuna remained the same. It was almost unnerving to hear them repeat, word for word, what he'd already played witness to twice, and it brought forth a sort of wry humor. No matter the changes he brought about, some things seemed to want to stay the same.

Naruto noticed a slight sag to Kakashi's back as he returned to the group, aware that his three Genin had eavesdropped on his conversation with the bridge builder. Having become more perceptive as a result of his Sharingan, Naruto could read Kakashi like an open book by the way he walked. Kakashi was going to ask whether or not they wanted to continue the mission, though he already knew that Naruto and Sasuke would say yes, and Sakura would agree with Sasuke.

But it was more than that, Naruto observed quietly. Kakashi didn't think his team was ready to take on someone of Jounin stature, as their next opponent would undoubtedly be. Normally, Naruto would disagree, but now…he had Sakura as a teammate, and she was pretty useless at this point. Sasuke wasn't all that interested in working together, so that plan was shot. That left it all up to Naruto, and he had doubts about how successful he'd be now that he was pretty average again.

But still, Naruto wouldn't be giving up all that easily. He was going to try, damn it. He was going to try even if it nearly killed him in the process. Zabuza could attack all he wanted, but Naruto still had one thing that neither Zabuza nor the rest of the world (save Hinata) had. Knowledge of the future.

So as Kakashi asked his question of whether or not they should continue their mission, Naruto schooled his features, "Well, this mission is definitely B-rank now, so we have a choice, guys. We can either continue with this mission and protect Tazuna, or we can call it quits and go back home. It's all up to you and what you want to do."

"We've come this far," Sasuke said, no hint of apprehension in his voice as he answered Kakashi. "We might as well go all the way."

"Yeah," Sakura hesitated for a second, "I agree with Sasuke-kun."

Naruto shrugged as Kakashi's eye landed on him, "It's our duty as ninja to follow this mission till its end. I wouldn't be able to lift my head in a crowd if I just gave up right here."

"Then it's settled," Kakashi sighed almost imperceptibly. "We'll continue this mission."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Thanks for everything," Tazuna whispered to the ferryman as he and Team Seven left the boat that had taken them across the expanse of water. He'd laid off the rice wine since the frightful (to him) encounter with the pair of mist ninja.

The ferryman shook his head as the boat started to move again, "Don't mention it, Tazuna-san."

Naruto grinned, trying to keep the group in high spirits as he prepared for the upcoming battle. It would take all of his skill to fight off Zabuza at this point in time. Himura's teachings were almost useless to him at the moment, since he had yet to train his body to the required standard of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Shunpo was just as useless, and Kakashi had forbidden it. Shunshin was too noticeable. And he was currently incapable of Hiraishin. All of his best Jutsu were off limits.

A thick fog rolled in as the group followed the dirt path to the little town in Wave Country, hiding the trees and bushes in a translucent haze. The wind was calm, and the only sounds heard were the soft _clap-clap_ of the group's feet on the ground. Naruto was tense.

The entire group suddenly ducked, Kakashi pulling Tazuna down with him and Sasuke nearly tackling Sakura, Naruto dropping to the ground on his own. A large Zanbatou, nicknamed Kubikiri Houcho (Neck-cleaving Kitchen knife) flew over their heads, embedding itself in a tree. As Tazuna and his ninja entourage rose from their places on the earth, a figure could be seen standing on the huge sword's hilt, his back to them.

"Momochi Zabuza," Kakashi hissed, hand flying to his headband. "Jounin of the Bloody Mist."

"Heh heh, you appear to be Sharingan Kakashi," Zabuza said, chuckling evilly. "Sorry, but the old man is mine!"

"Sharingan?" Sasuke echoed in a whisper. _'Kakashi-sensei…could he be…?_

"You'll have to get through me first!" Kakashi growled, yanking his hitai-ate skyward, revealing the coveted Sharingan eye.

"The Sharingan so soon?" Zabuza cackled maliciously. "It is an honor!"

Zabuza and his sword disappeared and the fog began to thicken. Kakashi backed his group into a circle around Tazuna. "Surround and protect the bridge builder, he's way out of your league!"

Sasuke was trembling, the killing intent that Zabuza oozed was overwhelming him. He'd never been on the receiving end of bloodlust, and he'd never faced down a Jounin before. His earlier confidence seemed to be dissipating, slipping through his fingers like sand. His hands began shaking uncontrollably. He was ready to end it himself, all just to get it over with…

"Sasuke!" Sasuke looked up. Kakashi was smiling at him over his shoulder, "I don't let my comrades die!"

The rush of air displacement that accompanied Shunshin met Naruto's ears. Swiftly, Naruto reached up, pulling his nōdachi from its sheath. He swung it vertically as the others in the group rushed out of the way, trapping himself and his enemy in a deadlock with a clang as their swords crossed. They appeared evenly matched.

Zabuza suddenly grinned beneath his bandages, pushing against the swords with a new strength. Naruto, surprised by the action, was forced to take a few rushed steps back to maintain his balance. Zabuza took advantage of the sudden opening, landing a kick square in Naruto's chest. The blonde flew backwards, landing on his stomach after he rolled a few yards.

Naruto's head shot up when he heard Zabuza gasp, his eyes widening. Kakashi stood behind Zabuza, a kunai stabbed in the tan man's lower back, right through a kidney. Water slowly flowed over the dark metal, dripping steadily to the hard ground. Suddenly, Zabuza exploded into water, splashing Kakashi's front.

A second Zabuza materialized behind the leaf ninja, his sword prepared to swing around and cleave Kakashi in two.

"Kakashi-sensei!" the three Genin yelled.

There was a splash as Zabuza's sword cut Kakashi in half. Blood, bone, and flesh soon disappeared, replaced with a familiar crystalline liquid. The Kakashi clone had reverted to water, much like its Zabuza predecessor.

Cold steel pressed against Zabuza's jugular. Another Kakashi stood behind him, Sharingan whirling, "It's over."

Silence reigned for a few seconds, then Zabuza started laughing, "'It's over?' Ha! You're right, Kakashi, it _is_ over!"

There was another splash and Zabuza melted into a puddle, nothing more than liquid. Kakashi's eyes widened. A third Zabuza advanced upon Kakashi from behind, poised to swing his large blade. Kakashi ducked under it, but Zabuza seemed prepared for that. Using the momentum of his swing, he dug his sword into the ground, landing a roundhouse kick to Kakashi's jaw.

The silver haired Jounin flew into the lake, landing particularly hard, soaked to the marrow. Zabuza was soon standing above him, making hand seals, "Suirou no Jutsu!"

A sphere of water rose up, surrounding Kakashi and trapping him in Zabuza's grasp. Using his free hand, Zabuza made a hand seal, "Now to take care of those brats! Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A water clone rose from the water of those before it, chuckling as it gazed at the Genin with wide, bloodshot eyes. In its gravely voice, a perfect imitation of its creator, it said, "You little punks don't know what it means to be ninja!"

Naruto clashed swords again as the clone at him and attempted to cut him down the middle, raising his sword in a half-prepared defense. The clone was stronger than he remembered, and revealing his Sharingan wasn't an option. A fear ran through Naruto, increasing as he heard a quiet cracking of metal. To him, it was the loudest roar ever heard as his sword began to break under the pressure of the Zabuza clone's strength.

With a sickening crash, the steel of Naruto's blade split in half, turning his nōdachi into a broken, foot long stump attached to a Katana hilt and hand guard. As the broken piece flew off somewhere, the tip of the massive Zanbatou bit into Naruto's chest, leaving a deep cut that started at his right shoulder and ended at his left hip. Naruto flew back as the rest of Team Seven screamed with worry, his shirt ripped and useless.

Zabuza's laugh was all that he heard as the world seemed to disappear around him.

A tall, lean figure wearing a ragged black overcoat over top of a ragged, button up shirt and black slacks walked up to Naruto's fading vision. Time seemed to freeze as the figure, his hair a shaggy, shoulder-length black, his face rugged, and a pair of goggle-like red glasses perched on his nose, stopped in front of Naruto. He bent down, resting one arm on his right knee as he kneeled, his crimson irises seeming to stare into the blonde's soul. He offered a hand.

"Come on, Naruto," the man said, shaking his hand for emphasis. "It's time for you to get up."

"Who are you?" Naruto asked weakly, struggling to keep his head up.

"I am Zangetsu," the man said, shaking his hand. "Now, it's time to stand up again."

"Zangetsu, huh?" Naruto's head fell back down to the earth. "Well I'm sorry, Zangetsu, but I won't be standing again anytime soon. I can barely breath as it is."

"But you need to stand, Naruto," Zangetsu laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "If you don't, unspeakable wrongs will be committed against all your precious ones."

There was a pause.

"You're him, aren't you?" Naruto asked, face still in the dirt. "You're the new soul of my Katana?"

"I am," Zangetsu said, tightening his grip on Naruto's shoulder. "And if you are unable to stand on your own, know that I will always be here to help you stand."

As Zangetsu stood, his hand still on Naruto's shoulder, Naruto could feel his pain and fatigue leave him. He rose from the ground as Zangetsu did, all his ailments seeming to vanish. The sword still clutched in his palm regenerated the part that Zabuza's clone had hacked off, then transformed, a Katana once more. The blade straightened, the polished steel turning pitch black as the hilt shrunk a little, the hand guard darkening to dusky raven. The hilt wrapping morphed into a pure, pristine white, the metal cap at the end staying a neutral bronze.

"Are you ready?" Zangetsu asked as time started to return.

"I am," Naruto said firmly. "Teki no Chi wo Abiru, Zangetsu."

The world returned as time did, revealing that barely more than a few seconds had passed between his being cut down and getting back up.

Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, Zabuza, and Tazuna all seemed stunned as he stood again, the gaping wound in his chest shrinking until it wasn't there anymore. Tazuna and Sasuke were slack-jawed. Sakura looked somewhere between relieved and confused, Kakashi wearing a similar look. Zabuza and his clone were sputtering as they tried to figure out what had happened.

A hand settled on Naruto's shoulder, squeezing it in a fatherly way. Naruto didn't need to look back to recognize the presence of Zangetsu, even if he had only _really_ met the man a few seconds before. It was comforting to know that Zangetsu would be there when no one else would be. It was comforting to realize that he'd never be alone.

"You must remember, Naruto," the words floated down, meant for Naruto's ears only. "If you defend, you _will_ block it. If you protect someone, they_ won't_ die. If you attack, you _will_ cut him down. That is the key to fighting: resolve."

"Yes, Zangetsu," Naruto whispered back. "Thank you."

"Let me show you," Naruto said louder, knowing that everyone could hear him. He lifted his arm, holding his sword vertically above his body. A pressure, purer than Zabuza's bloodlust but still just as heavy, settled amongst the group. A ring of dust was blown away from the blonde's feet, an azure aura surrounding him. Naruto swung his sword, his eyes seeming to glow, "…my resolve!"

There was an intense white flash, forcing the majority of the group to close their eyes. It was like a brighter version of Naruto's Byakurai, Sasuke noted, blinding in its intensity and nearly overwhelming. He'd hate to be on the wrong end of it. But _where_ was Naruto getting this strength?

As color returned to the world and everyone could see again, most of them went slack-jawed at the sight that greeted their eyes.

A large, straight crack had formed in the earth, starting a few inches in front of Naruto's sword and ending somewhere in the middle of the lake. Water was pouring in to fill the three-foot deep crack, adding a dramatic flare to the power of the attack. The Zabuza clone was nowhere in sight, but if the puddle on the ground was any indication, it was long gone. Zabuza himself, who had been almost directly in line for the attack, had moved to the far left, panting as he leaned against a tree. He used up a lot of energy to dodge it in time, apparently.

Kakashi stood on top of the water, waiting for Zabuza to regain his bearings. He was going to boast about Naruto to the mist nin, which was why he wasn't capitalizing on the opening Zabuza was presenting him with at that point in time. Even he was amazed with what Naruto had just pulled off. He didn't know Naruto had the energy to do something like that.

Naruto fell backwards onto his back, snoring lightly, proving that Kakashi was right. He _didn't_ have the energy to pull off something like that. It was a one-shot deal, and Naruto had used his one shot.

Chuckling, Kakashi whispered, "Rest well, Naruto. You deserve it."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

A familiar scent drifted into Naruto's nose, one he never thought he'd smell during the entirety of this mission. Screwing up his face, Naruto inhaled through his nose again, slightly surprised to detect that particular aroma again. Then, a smile spread across his lips, a soft giggle reaching his ears.

Naruto's eyes opened slowly as he took in another deep breath, "Hello, Hinata-chan."

Hinata giggled again, smiling down at him, "Good morning, Naruto-kun."

Naruto sat up, shrugging the covers off his chest. Kakashi lay beside him a few feet away, sleeping soundly, "So, Hinata-chan, what are you doing here? I mean, it's not like I'm not happy to see you, but…"

Hinata's smile didn't falter, "I remembered that we had this mission originally, and that we had faced Zabuza-san and Haku-san. I…thought you could use some help, so I asked Hokage-sama if my team could follow you. He approved."

Naruto sighed as he caught a hesitant undertone, "He wants an explanation, doesn't he?"

Hinata nodded. Naruto sighed again, "Well, we'll just have to tell him the truth…or at least half of it."

Hinata nodded again, fidgeting slightly, her index fingers poking together. Naruto noticed, "Something wrong, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata threw herself into Naruto's arms, crying softly, "Oh, Naruto-kun! Everything's so different! Father's mean and cold! We're on different teams! Kiba-san is acting weird and…oh Naruto-kun!"

Naruto lifted her chin, pushing his finger to her lips with a, "Shhhhhh."

Hinata bit her bottom lip, trying to quiet her desperate sobs. Naruto, seeing her distress, leaned forward, kissing her softly. Slowly, as they sat there for a few minutes, lips locked, Hinata's sobs slowed to gentle heaves, far and few between. Naruto smiled as she calmed, leaning back and taking in a deep breath.

"Hinata-chan," Hinata looked into Naruto's eyes, tears drying on her cheeks as he talked to her, "Do you remember how I told you I've time traveled before?" She nodded. He continued, "Well, this is the timeline I came from originally. Almost all the memories you have useless here, since the events you remember are ones I had the chance to alter."

"S-so…" She began hesitantly. "I-I have to…play along?"

"Yeah," Naruto smiled somberly. "You're going to have to go with the flow. I'll need your help to change certain events, but on the whole, you're going to be in unfamiliar territory, so you'll have to just follow along for now. I'll tell you about how things originally went in this timeline later, when we'll have no chance of eavesdroppers."

"A-alright," Hinata didn't seem too sure of this idea, but she knew it was for the best. "But don't think that you'll be doing everything by yourself! We're a team."

"Yeah," Naruto whispered back, smiling brightly. He pulled her into a hug. "We're a team."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Next time…

"_Kankuro," Kankuro looked over at the red-haired boy hanging upside down from a tree like a bat, gulping at the serious tone in the other boy's voice, "You'd do well not to mess with that boy, Uzumaki Naruto. He's way out of your league."_

"_I-I don't know, Gaara," Kankuro put on a confident air. "He seems pretty weak to me."_

"_Fool," Gaara spat. "Be a ninja. Look underneath the underneath."_

_Kankuro looked back over at the blond as Gaara continued, "He may not look like much, but that's just that, appearances. That sword of his has a powerful aura about it, nearly as powerful as Uzumaki's aura…I have no doubt that sword could carve out your soul."_

_Gaara gave Kankuro a hard stare, "Your puppets would be useless against that enchanted steel. _You_ would be useless against that blade."_

"_Besides,"_ _an excited, bloodthirsty grin stretched across Gaara's face, "He's a Jinchuuriki, just like _meI_ want to be the one to kill him."_

_Kankuro shivered at the insanity rolling off Gaara in waves, a murderous glint in the Shukaku host's eyes._

**— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

**A/N And here is chapter two of Volume 2. Things are starting to heat up. Yes, Ichigo is the Fifth Division Captain. At least, to me he is. Hey, someone had to be appointed after Aizen defected, so why not Ichigo?**

**I hope you enjoyed this.**

**I think I'd better clarify something here. Naruto's chakra, bloodline, memories, and any seals he'd added to his body, are all **_**intact.**_** The only things that **_**aren't**_** intact are the **_**events**_** that led up to these abilities and changes.**

**I got that Shikai activation phrase from a reviewer, his name was Infinite Freedom. It means, "Bath in the Blood of the Enemy, Zangetsu". My Japanese teacher translated it into Japanese for me. The 'wo' is pronounced 'ō' not 'ŏ' or 'wō' or 'wŏ'. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, Bleach, or (Dot) Hack.**

**So what do you guys think about Naruto's Shikai? What about his new Katana? What do you think about Zangetsu?**

**As for (Dot) Hack…well, the Avatars are really all I plan to take from there, but…that might change.**

**As for Naruto and Kidou…he only knows a few offensive Kidou, and one or two binding spells, so he still has a lot to learn. Ichigo is here to teach him more in depth about sword fighting. Naruto trained with Himura, learning to fight a swordsman. He didn't, however, learn to fight against swordsman that had a wealth of Chakra, or one that had an amazing amount of raw strength, like Ichigo.**

**Volume 1 focused more on the crossover with Dot Hack, this one will have more of a focus on the crossover with Bleach, and the Dot Hack crossover will not be as obvious. Still, that doesn't mean that everything will be Bleach related. Just a few Bleach characters and a few different things used here and there. **

**I'm trying to tie all these Bleach tidbits into the story line smoothly, so that they seem like they belong there. Tell me if it's too unbelievable.**

**Twenty points and a cookie to the person who can guess the real reason Volume Two's title is 'Reminisce'! **

**Oh, and that little thing at the top is all me, except for the quote. The quote comes from GITS: SAC.**

**Updates will be slow for all my stories, due primarily to the school year.**

_**My Broken Wings, still strong enough to cross the ocean with. How far should a go, drifting in the wind?**_

**James Daniel Fawkes**

_**James Daniel Fawkes**_**(Signature best viewed in **_**Wendy Medium**_** font style)**


	3. The Great Naruto Bridge

Kisuke sat on a little known hill, watching the sun rise on the horizon. He smiled bitterly.

"Sometimes," he said, sighing. "Sometimes, I wish it hadn't been necessary to give up my Shinigami powers."

"You know as well as I do, Kisuke," a silky, female voice reminded him. Kisuke looked behind him to see the voluptuous form Shihouin Yoruichi, "that we couldn't hide here peacefully in a place filled with the spiritually adept people _and_ escape notice. If we hadn't given up our Shinigami forms, we'd have been seen as a threat long ago."

"Yeah," Kisuke conceded reluctantly. "You're right."

Yoruichi sighed as she sat down next to him, "When are you going to tell Naruto?"

"I won't need to," Kisuke said, a knowing smile on his lips. "Ichigo will take care of that for me."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Is he really here to find Naruto?"

"Naruto has a Zanpaku-to," Kisuke explained, "a powerful one, at that. If Ichigo and Rukia are here, it means that they've been chosen over Byakuya. They're here to train Naruto."

**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce  
By: **James D. Fawkes

**Chapter Three: The Great Naruto Bridge  
— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

"So, this is my target, Yamamoto-taichou?" a man asked, his long silvery-white hair pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His chin-length bangs hung free, framing his face as his crimson eyes gazed dispassionately at the feminine male depicted in the photograph he held. "He doesn't look like much."

Yamamoto nodded, "As I'm sure you're aware, it is not normal for us to send a Shinigami to execute a mortal, but exceptions must be made."

"I'm aware," the seemingly nineteen-year-old assured him, shrugging his white-clad shoulders. The black Japanese character for 'Three' rippled on his back. "Byakuya— _Kuchiki-taichou_— made sure I was aware of Seireitei laws and customs when you assigned me as Third Division Captain. So, who is this guy?"

"He is Orochimaru," Yamamoto said, a serious scowl on his lips. "He is a powerful shinobi, world renowned as one of the 'Legendary Three', or the 'Sannin', as they are called. He is a traitor to his people, and a very cunning man. You can't take him lightly."

"I see," the white-haired man said, not really concerned. "So what did he do to deserve your attention?"

"He has committed inhuman experiments," Yamamoto told him. "I wish that was all he is guilty of, but that alone does not garner too much concern. No, his true crime against Seireitei is of a much more serious nature. He seeks immortality…and has come damn near close to reaching it."

"Then I am, essentially, to send his damned soul on to receive his just desserts?"

"Yes," Yamamoto nodded. "But do not take this mission lightly. He is strong, for a mortal In the long run, you may be able to expect help from Kurosaki-taichou, but that is no reason to relax."

"Calm down," the man said as he turned to leave. "After all, there is a reason I was assigned as Third Division Captain. This man will not escape, or my name isn't Miyamoto Tenchu."  
(A/N: Tenchu, for those who have never heard the term, means "Heaven's Wrath".)

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto stared dispassionately at the shocked faces beneath him, his arms folded. He stood atop a tall tree, glued to the side of it, chakra holding him to the brown bark. The entirety of Teams Seven and Eight, minus Hinata, who stood atop the tree next to him, was staring at him in surprise.

"I already knew this exercise, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto told him, speaking to the wide-eyed Jounin rooted to the ground. "Now, if there are no objections, Hinata and I will—"

Naruto stopped short as a sudden pressure settled on his body, similar and yet quite different from the killing intent he was used to. This pressure, however, was much stronger and more potent. It made Naruto's knees want to buckle, and it nearly paralyzed his throat and lungs. Struggling to turn his head, he noticed Hinata was suffering from similar symptoms, her face frozen in shock.

Then, just as suddenly as it came, it lessened drastically, until it was nothing more than an annoying nagging at the back of his mind. Through it all, Kakashi and the others seemed oblivious, having not moved since Naruto began talking.

"— Hinata and I will head off for our own training while you and Kurenai-sensei teach these guys," Naruto finished, almost as if on auto-pilot.

Without bothering to wait for the Jounin's acknowledgment, Naruto leapt off in the direction of the pressure's origination. Hinata followed closely behind, shaken by the powerful event that had just invaded her feeling of control.

Both of them had been confident in their advanced abilities. With their vast knowledge of Nin-, Gen-, and Tai-Jutsu, all that it would take to put them back at their original level was a bit of training and some hard work. Add to the fact that both had a considerable grasp on the events to come, and Hinata and Naruto thought they had complete control of everything that was going on.

But now, this new power had arisen, so much greater than either of theirs. The sheer size of this entity's strength had to be enormous, especially with how far away it seemed to be. For it to be so potent, at such a distance…

Hinata felt a small wave of panic wash through her, taking a constricting hold of her throat. A tightness grew in her chest, grasping her lungs with a frigid touch that had to be near absolute zero. She only hoped that this being they were going to confront wasn't an enemy.

Naruto wasn't much better off. Fear gripped him with an iron fist, freezing his breath in his lungs. A nervous lump made itself known in his throat, one that just wouldn't be swallowed. Whatever or whoever it was that possessed such power was definitely far beyond his own ability, and he was painfully aware of that.

Never, in all his life, had he felt so helpless. All he could do was pray.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

To Naruto's slight surprise, they landed in a familiar clearing, the one that he and Himura had used last time. He faintly registered Hinata landing softly behind him, walking up to stand by his side.

"So you came," Naruto's eyes shot to the center of the clearing, where the owner of the voice, a spiky, orange-haired teenager maybe three or four years his senior, stood with his arms crossed. "I guess that's one less thing I have to teach you. I never was all that great at sensing spiritual pressure, anyway."

The teen was dressed like an old-school samurai. His under kimono was a pale beige, sticking out slightly beneath his black kimono top, just loose enough to show off his toned, though not bulging, chest. A white obi was tied around his waist, wrapped around twice. Black hakama cascaded over his legs, white tabi and straw sandals peeking out from beneath it. A sleeveless white haori, decorated with strange black patterns near the hem, rested on his shoulders. His lean arms, mostly covered by the kimono's large sleeves, were folded in front of his torso.

A girl with neck-length indigo hair, dressed almost identically to the orange haired teen (minus the haori), materialized next to his shoulder, which was about how tall she was compared to him. She went up to about his neck, and stood next to him as if she belonged there.

The orange-haired 'samurai' looked over to her, "Hey, Rukia-chan. You take care of the others?"

The girl, who seemed to be as old as the young man next to her, smiled, nodding, "Yes I did, Ichigo-kun. They won't remember your spiritual pressure."

"Wait a minute!" Naruto shouted, glaring at the one called 'Ichigo'. Hinata looked alarmed. "What did you do to my friends?!"

Ichigo blinked, staring at the spiky-haired blonde, "Nothing. Just modified their memories. _You're_ the only one we wanted to see."

Naruto's tense posture relaxed, but the glare and scowl remained. Just because they hadn't hurt the others didn't mean they weren't still hostile. There was something…off about these people. Their presence was obvious to him, he could see them and sense them, but, at the same time, they almost seemed like they weren't there.

"What did you want to see Naruto-kun for?" Hinata asked hesitantly. She looked slightly relieved to learn that Team Seven and Team Eight were fine, but she was a little on edge about what they wanted her Naruto for.

Ichigo chuckled, pulling the ragged hilt of a Katana out of his kimono. He gripped it tightly, holding it firmly in his right palm, "Come on out, old man."

There was a brief flash of light, then a giant black cleaver whose handle was covered in white bandages replaced the hilt in his hand. The sharp edge of the blade was a gleaming silver, shining in the morning sun. Though it was huge, easily as tall as Ichigo, he held it with one hand, effortlessly.

Suddenly, Ichigo disappeared from in front of them. Naruto, quick as he could, pulled his own sword from the makeshift sheath on his back, one that he had carved himself the day before. The straight black blade of his sword was brought up in front of him, blocking some invisible force. Then, Ichigo appeared again, his cleaver playing an inverted tug-of-war with Naruto's weapon. He still held onto it with one hand, calm while Naruto panted in exertion.

"That's a pretty cool Zanpaku-to you have there," Ichigo said, acting as though they were discussing the weather. "It's cool, but it's no match for mine."

Ichigo jerked away, dodging from the path of a third sword, this one belonging to Hinata. Frowning, Ichigo turned to Rukia as Naruto tried to catch his breath, "Hey, Rukia. Open that file again. Did it mention anything about this girl?"

Rukia scanned the contents of a file she'd pulled from her own kimono, frowning. She shook her head, "No, Ichigo. There's no mention of this girl at all."

Ichigo's frown deepened as he turned back towards the two ninja, mentally doing calculations. There were some things that didn't add up, unless you put in some other things that were very unlikely. His frown quickly became a scowl. He recognized the spiritual presence of that Zanpaku-to.

"So, Urahara," Ichigo muttered, more to himself than anyone else, "you gave up being a Shinigami, then you gave up your Zanpaku-to. This girl…what did she have that the others didn't? Why give Benihime to her?"

Ichigo didn't get an answer, and he hadn't really expected one.

"Change of plans, Rukia," Ichigo sighed. "We've got two students now instead of one."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto blinked, staring down at his hands. He was dressed in the same style as the girl named Rukia, his sword sheathed at his hip. Looking behind himself, he noticed, with a faint amount of surprise, his real body sitting up against the tree he'd previously been standing in front of. Hinata standing next to him, dressed much the same way, and her own body sitting behind her, looked slightly disoriented. He was glad Ichigo had explained what this was before hand.

He looked down at his palms again.

"_So this is what my spirit looks like," _he mused, flexing his fingers. It was strange. He felt oddly light, like he could move ten times as fast as he used to. At the same time, he felt as though he was laden with more power than most could imagine, and burdened with the responsibility of using that power correctly.

"That would be my doing. You absorbed a large portion of _my_ spiritual power," Naruto looked behind himself again, met with feral red eyes and grinning ivory fangs. The Kyubi, now in control of Naruto's real body, tapped his skull with an index finger. "Just because you're having an 'out of body' experience doesn't mean our mental connection has disappeared."

Seeing the panicked look that crossed Naruto's face, the Kyubi chuckled, "Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything but sit here and watch."

Hinata marveled at how different she felt in this new form. She'd been worried that her body would die while she was outside of it, but Ichigo and Rukia had calmed her fears, telling her that it didn't work that way. It had taken some convincing, but she eventually agreed to having her spirit self separated from her mortal body. The prospect of more training and greater control over her Reiatsu and Chakra (she didn't know what Reiatsu was, but her chakra had been a little more wild ever since the trip back in time) was too enticing to pass up.

Hinata looked down to her waist, where Benihime was tucked into her obi. Benihime had suddenly changed the command required to awaken her powers. How and why, Hinata could only guess (if the small amount of youki mixed in with Benihime's aura was any indication, Kyubi had something to do with it) but it had brought about a stronger Benihime, so Hinata wasn't too concerned.

A giggle swerved Naruto's attention onto Rukia, who was laughing and pointing at him. She elbowed her taller companion, talking in between fits of laughter, "He—ha, ha!— he looks just like—ha, ha, ha!— just like a miniature you, Ichigo!"

Ichigo himself smirked as he took in the untamed hair and tense posture Naruto exhibited, connecting them with what he had to have looked like when he first became a Shinigami. Especially with his hitai-ate off, Naruto looked like he could pass for Ichigo's younger sibling, or even a younger Ichigo.

Hinata shot Naruto a questioning look. He just shrugged not really understanding what it was they were laughing at. He looked nothing like Ichigo. His hair was blonde, his eyes were blue, he had whisker marks on his cheeks, and a darker complexion (though not much darker; Ichigo had something of a tan himself). Ichigo had orange hair, brown eyes, and lacked whisker marks.

Really, they looked nothing alike, so why was Ichigo chuckling, and why was Rukia laughing?

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Kiba growled, dashing up the side of the tree in front of him. Sakura could do it, Hinata could do it, hell, _Naruto_ could do it, so why couldn't he? It made no sense to him. Naruto was the dead last of the Academy. He graduated by a fluke and some luck. He, Kiba, as one of the better students, should be perfectly capable of outstripping Uzumaki Naruto. It _should_ be that simple, but it wasn't.

Kiba growled, shouting, "I know!" down at the yipping, barking Akamaru, who was trying to boost his confidence. By all rights, Kiba shouldn't have any more trouble with this exercise than Naruto did, but he was having much more trouble than he expected. And, because of it, Naruto was off with Hinata, doing who knows what with her.

"_No," _Kiba scolded himself, _"they're not doing that! Hinata isn't that kind of girl!"_

With a huff, Kiba ran at the tree again, trying to climb all the way up it. He would succeed, and he would show Hinata just how worthless Naruto was.

Shino shook his head, watching his teammate dispassionately from his place in his tree a few yards away. Kiba was really so childish, and he was pathetically easy to read. Shino had known from day one that Kiba had a huge crush on the Hyuga heiress. He also knew of Hinata and Naruto's relationship, though he had no idea how serious it was. He could tell, just from looking at the pair, that Kiba had no chance of winning Hinata's heart.

He knew that things wouldn't end well, and he knew that Kiba would try to get Hinata just about anyway he could, even if it meant killing Naruto. What bothered Shino about that prospect was not that Kiba could actually kill Naruto (his insects told him of Naruto's large increase in chakra) but that Kiba would be seriously or even fatally wounded in his fight with the blond.

Shino really didn't want to imagine what Naruto's new power could do to the human body. He'd been privy to the sight where Naruto 'proved his resolve' as Kakashi had put it, and he didn't think that anything could survive a direct hit from the enigma's attack. That crater had been easily three feet deep and two feet wide, and the range of the attack was nothing to sneeze at either.

The bug user turned his gaze towards the Uchiha, who was trying just as hard to reach the top as Kiba was. Sasuke had his own reasons for beating Naruto, though they were only slightly better than Kiba's. Sasuke wanted to be stronger than Naruto. Sasuke wanted to be the strongest, and Shino had a sneaking suspicion he knew why.

In order for Sasuke to seek his revenge on his brother, he needed to be the strongest there was, and if Naruto was stronger, then Sasuke needed to be stronger still. Hopefully, the fact that Naruto had found his strength in Konoha would keep Sasuke rooted to his home village, and keep him from seeking power elsewhere from more…dangerous sources.

Shino turned his gaze once more, onto Sakura. She was sitting in the tree that separated Kiba and Sasuke, watching the Uchiha try his damnedest to reach the top of the tree. She was shouting words of inspiration to him, ignorant of the fact that she could be training instead. Sometimes, Shino questioned the wisdom of letting fan-girls graduate.

Shino's attention drifted a third time, to Kakashi, who was leaning against a tree reading his little orange book. Shino had wondered what the book was about for a little while, until he overheard Kurenai scolding him for reading smut in front of "innocent Genin". He found it ironic that she would call them innocent, considering what their profession was.

Kakashi was more laid back than Shino had expected a Jounin to be, and he supposed it had something to do with Kakashi's mysterious past. He was quite surprised, though, when Kakashi let Hinata and Naruto disappear without even trying to stop them. He thought Kakashi might be trying to push two of them together for his own reasons, probably something to do with a past opportunity that he himself never took. Kurenai had scolded him for that, too.

Shino pushed his glasses up with his middle finger, readjusting them on his nose. Things were definitely turning out to be much different than he expected. For one, Hinata wasn't the meek, shy girl he'd had her pegged as. Naruto was stronger all of the sudden and his chakra had nearly tripled. And he and his team were on what was officially classified as a B-rank mission.

Things were getting to be very interesting.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Seven days past quickly, and soon, Kiba and Sasuke had mastered the art of Tree Climbing. Kakashi and Kurenai, thought slightly suspicious of what Naruto and Hinata were up to, didn't bother them when they came back to Tazuna's every night. There was a silent understanding between all of them that Naruto and Hinata would never tell them what they were doing. Well, all except for Kiba, who, originally, was going to demand to know what they'd been up to, but he was forced to keep quiet by Kurenai.

So, on the morning of the eighth day, Team Seven set out with Kakashi and Tazuna while Team Eight stayed to guard Tsunami and Inari, Tazuna's daughter and grandson. The Jounin, who thought that having one team per adult was a good idea, considered this for the best. This way, should someone, namely, Gatou's thugs, decide to try to kidnap Tsunami and Inari, they'd at least have a pretty hard time of it.

But Naruto had a different plan.

Halfway to the bridge, Naruto stopped, swearing loudly, "Shit!"

Kakashi looked back, "What's wrong, Naruto?"

Naruto sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I forgot something. I have to go get it."

Kakashi nodded, "Go ahead. You can catch up later."

Nodding quickly, Naruto turned around and ran back down the path, heading towards Tazuna's house. Looking over his shoulder, he slowed to a stop as the others turned their backs to him and continued on to the bridge. He grinned.

"Naruto-kun!" Naruto turned towards the voice, seeing Hinata standing in the trees. His grin widened when he noticed she was alone.

"Did you take care of the samurai?" Naruto asked her, walking closer so as to prevent the need for raised voices.

She nodded, smiling broadly.

"Good," Naruto said. "We wait for Haku to use his mirrors, then we interfere."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

A series of sharp thuds echoed in Sasuke's ears as he dodged, senbon raining down on him. Even with his many years of training and all of the hard work he had put into getting stronger, all he could do was move out of the way. He was an Uchiha, the most feared and revered clan in all the elemental countries, he shouldn't be struggling as much as he was. He jumped away again, moving out of the way of the barrage from behind.

"Bastard!" Sasuke spat angrily, snarling at the figure in the mirrors.

"I don't want to kill you," the masked boy said, a slight amount of remorse in his tone. "Just give up."

"Damn you!" Sasuke swore, eyes glowing red. "Go to hell!"

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried, tossing a kunai in her crush's direction.

Haku leaned out of one of the mirrors, grabbing the kunai in midair, "I'm afraid that won't work."

Another kunai came, as if from nowhere, and collided solidly with Haku's mask, knocking the boy from his icy sheet. He fell with dull thud, sprawled on the ground a few feet where he'd been.

Naruto appeared above the boy's prone form, sword poised to strike. Haku rolled, allowing the black steel to bite into the concrete. Haku maneuvered into standing upright, swinging his arm, a senbon in his grasp. Naruto ducked beneath it.

Naruto threw himself forward, landing a palm strike into Haku's unprotected torso. Haku flew backwards, the wind knocked from his chest. He hit the ground, rolling backwards onto his feet, clutching his stomach as he tried to catch his breath. The blond hadn't added any chakra, so Haku's internal organs were safe.

Naruto sheathed his sword, activating his Sharingan as he dropped into the infamous Gentle Fist stance. From the recesses of his mind, a chart appeared, one that Hinata and Neji had made after their reconciliation, detailing the chakra pressure points all over the human body. With a frown, and help from his Sharingan, he applied the chart to the person standing in front of him as Haku recovered.

Before Haku could fling the senbon he'd grasped from his pouch, Naruto disappeared, reappearing in front of Haku. A few precision strikes hit him before he was prepared, closing several of the tenketsu in his shoulders and arms. He gasped.

"_By substituting chakra for reiatsu, you make the Shinigami skill Shunpo much more efficient," Ichigo said, lecturing the two in front of him. "However, it takes much more precision and control to use chakra for Shunpo."_

Haku backed up, unable to use either of his arms, gasping as he tried to determine what was happening to him. Naruto vanished from his vision again, reappearing behind him and pinning his arms to the small of his back to prevent further movement.

"_Now that you are consciously aware of and can draw on your reiatsu, you _should_ be able to use Shunpo without any of the painful side effects you said you experienced before, since you'll be using reiatsu," Ichigo grinned. "So, that's what we're going to do for right now. After you've tired yourselves out, Rukia will teach you Kidō."_

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto shouted into the mist, making sure Haku couldn't escape. "Now!"

Hinata suddenly appeared, as if from nowhere, in front of Haku, her left hand held in half the tiger seal in front of her face, her open-palmed right hand a mere eight inches from the mist-nin's chest. She started chanting.

"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!" she said fiercely. "Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudō Number Nine: Geki!" (Path of Binding: Hit)

Naruto leapt out of the way as a wave of pure reiatsu collided with Haku, encasing him in a crimson aura. He froze, unable to fall and unable to move. The parts of him that moved were his eyes, which darted around in confusion, and his chest, which rose and fell as he took in deep breaths. He was utterly paralyzed.

Naruto beamed as he walked up to his girlfriend, "Good job, Hinata-chan! How long do you think you can hold him?"

A small smile graced Hinata's features, though the majority of her concentration was on keeping her target contained, "About twenty minutes, Naruto-kun."

Nodding, Naruto walked over to Sasuke, offering a hand and a smile. Sasuke looked up and met Naruto's eyes, revealing the awakened Sharingan, and tentatively took the offered hand. Naruto grinned, pulling his friend up. His own Sharingan flared to life again, having been deactivated after Haku had lost use of his arms, "Well, now. It seems that the last hidden Sharingan has finally started to spin."

His eyes having been wide the moment he discovered the Uchiha bloodline in Naruto, Sasuke's eyes widened further, his mouth hanging open.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

With the Raikiri crackling around his fist, Kakashi looked up at the trapped Zabuza, "You're too dangerous to be let live, Zabuza. This is where it ends."

Just as Kakashi started to move, a low clapping halted all movement, bringing everyone's attention to the unfinished end of the bridge. A gray-haired man that Naruto knew as Gatou stood there, one forearm in a cast, with a large group of ronin behind him. Gatou stopped clapping, his black glasses gleaming in the sunlight streaming through the overcast clouds.

"I came here to get rid of you, Zabuza," he said, a smirk on his pudgy face, "but I got something else in return. I got to see you and your snotty little friend get your asses handed to you!"

Gatou's smirk widened, "But now that you're all weak and tired, I'll just get rid of you all!"

Kakashi looked back at the Demon of the Mist, the energy around his hand dissipating, "Well, Zabuza, looks like you're out of a job. Does this mean our fight's over?"

Zabuza chuckled as the dogs holding him prisoner vanished, "Yeah, I guess it does."

"You're way too confident, Gatou," Naruto grinned as he walked up in front of the group of tired ninja. He tugged his sword free, stabbing the tip skyward. All of the ninja's eyes widened, even as that same aura returned, sweeping away the dust of the battle. Naruto glanced back, "I'm sorry, Tazuna-san. I'm going to set the construction back a little bit."

Tazuna grinned, "I don't care! Just get rid of him, and I promise you all the ramen you can eat!"

Naruto grinned wider, turning his head back to his target, his eyes irises bleached with a white glow. He shouted, "If you protect someone, they won't die! If you defend, you block! If you attack, you _cut them down!_"

Naruto swung the straight sword in his hand, "_Getsuga Tenshou!_" (Lunar Fang Striking the Heavens)

The ronin screamed as the crescent of white energy cut through their ranks, completely disintegrating those in the direct line of fire. It continued forward, decimating an entire third of their forces until it reached Gatou and promptly cut him in half. It moved even further, destroying those that had stood behind the tycoon, taking the man's two halves with it until it reached the edge of the bridge. It dissipated, dropping Gatou's remains into the water below.

Sakura, who had played witness to this, dashed to the side of the bridge and vomited.

The ronin stared in horror at the blond for a few minutes, surprise freezing their bodies. Then, one of them regained sense, yelling, "RUN AWAY!"

The entire group scrambled to the edge of the bridge, some tripping on the crater Naruto's attack left behind, eager to leave before they ended up like their allies. Spears, swords, and other weapons dropped to the ground like flies, abandoned as the ronin tried to escape a grisly fate.

Silence reigned for several minutes, then a slow, thunderous roar rose from the other end of the bridge. Everyone, including Haku, who had been freed of the Bakudō after Gatou appeared, turned around. The people of the village were cheering loudly, some dancing in victory.

Naruto grinned and waved, his sword now in its sheath. He'd done it again.

"Naruto-kun!" Naruto caught Hinata in his arms, spinning her around as he laughed happily. As the momentum died down and Hinata's feet touched the ground, Naruto pulled her in for a tug, locking eyes with her. Closing his eyes, he leaned forward, kissing her soundly.

He could hear catcalls from Sasuke and laughs from Zabuza, as well as giggling from Sakura, but Naruto didn't care. Things were looking good for the future.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Two weeks past quickly and, with the help of Naruto's Kage Bunshin, the bridge was finished. Now, it was time for Team Seven to say good bye to the Tazuna family.

Tazuna smiled, "Thanks to you, we've completed the bridge. We could never thank you enough for the help you've given us."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Tazuna-san," Kakashi said, smiling through his mask. "My team and I hope to see you at the Chuunin Exams. I'll make sure to send you an escort."

Naruto reached forward, ruffling Inari's hair affectionately, "I'll see you later, okay, Otouto?"

Inari nodded, sniffling as he tried to hold back his tears, "I'll-I'll s-see you later, Aniki."

Hinata bent down and planted a kiss on the boy's cheek, "See you later, Inari-kun."

Inari nodded again, "Of course, nee-chan!"

Kiba huffed, "Team Seven has all the fun."

Shino adjusted his glasses, chuckling lightly, "Now, now, Kiba."

With a single, backward wave, Team Seven, Team Eight, and the Mist duo turned around and left the Land of Waves, heading towards Konoha. They'd made many new friends on this journey, and they'd make many more in the future.

Tazuna smiled as they disappeared towards the horizon, lifting Inari onto his shoulders, "We'll call it…the Great Naruto Bridge!"

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Next time…

"_You're from the future? But how?!"— Sandaime_

"_Father…I won't fail. I'll _ace_ this mission!" — Naruto_

"_Naruto-kun! His swords…!"— Hinata_

"_What are these people? They're like zombies!"— Sasuke_

"_Huuuuuuuuuuuuu…" — Unknown_

"_Yes, Naruto-kun. Consume all happiness and sadness…" — Unknown_

"_I won't run away! These guys…they're as good as dead." — Sasuke_

**"_Don't be a fool, Naruto! The Azure Knights are not to be trifled with!" _**_— Kyubi_

"_So this is how it has to be…I'm gonna need your help, Zangetsu." — Naruto_

"_Razor's Edge!" — Unknown_

"_Lateral Moon!" — Unknown_

"_This mission is S-rank, Naruto-kun. It's the very mission that gave the Fourth the inspiration he needed to invent his crowning achievement."— Sandaime_

_A new mission, one Naruto's never heard of, comes to light, assigned to him by the Fourth Hokage himself. He gets to choose the three people (two Genin and a Jounin) who are going with him on this strange assassination mission. Kyubi, however, urges him that his targets are not exactly the kind of people you want to go picking a fight with. Naruto doesn't care._

_This mission doesn't pay the same way a normal mission would. No, instead, a different prize is awarded to the three Genin. Naruto's reward: his new Bankai._

_Next time, "Empty Mirage Slicing the Moon"(Shinkuu Nigemizu Zangetsu). _

**— o.0.O.O.0.o —  
A/N Yes! Chapter Three is up and running! I'm **_**back**_**, baby!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, (Dot) Hack, or Bleach**

**Finals are a bitch.**

**Yup, that's why this one took so long to post. I've had finals for the past two weeks, so I'd not touched Microsoft Word since I posted Chapter Two. Coupled with that, I was sick as a dog for three days straight.**

**Well, summer's here, so I might be able to update faster than before, but I make no promises.**

**Those of you who know who the Azure Knights are, and know who those 'Unknown' quotes belong to, keep it to yourself until chapter four.**

_**Burn this into your eyes…!**_

**James Daniel Fawkes**

_James Daniel Fawkes_**(Signature best viewed in **_**Wendy Medium**_** font style)**


	4. Empty Mirage Slicing the Moon

"You're going to love it in Konoha, Zabuza-san," Hinata said, her fingers laced with Naruto's. "You will too, Haku-san."

"I should hope so," Zabuza muttered. "I'd hate to discover our trip was for nothing."

"I wouldn't worry too much," Naruto laughed, grinning broadly. "The old man may not be a pushover, but he's one big soft-heart. There's no one more accepting in all of Konoha…except me, of course."

"All laughter aside," Kakashi said, nose stuck in his book. Kurenai glared at him, pulling out a lighter, "You really have nothing to worry about, Zabuza."

"I don't know about that. Living in the same village with _that_ lunatic," Kiba jerked his head in Naruto's direction, "you come to appreciate the solitude of being a missing nin."

A glare from Kurenai and Hinata shut him up.

"All joking and foolishness aside," Shino said, pointing at the tall gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, "we're here."

**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce  
By: **James D. Fawkes

**Chapter Four: Shinkuu Nigemizu Zangetsu  
— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

Naruto slurped his Ramen happily, shooting a grin at Hinata, who sat next to him. She giggled, distracted from her own bowl of noodles by the silliness of his face, covered as it was with broth and bits of noodle. Naruto, oblivious to this, just grinned wider, "Tee hee hee…!"

"Oh, Naruto-kun," Hinata sighed, going back to her cooling food, "if only we could be this carefree all the time."

Naruto sighed as well, setting his chopsticks down, "I know what you mean, Hinata-chan, but we can't relax too much until we've set things right. We have some free time now…"

He smiled at her, beaming with serenity, "…so enjoy it while you can!"

Smiling, Hinata leaned over, planting a 'Thank you' kiss on his lips. When she pulled back and started to eat again, so did Naruto, but he had a huge, goofy grin on his face. She suspected that very little could wipe it off.

"I knew there was a reason I loved you," she heard him say. She giggled daintily, trying to hide it behind her fingers, then quietly went back to her Ramen before it got cold.

That's how Kakashi found them, sitting close together, eating ramen in a peaceful silence that almost hurt him to break. Still he had a duty to perform, so he walked up next to Naruto, sat down, and said, "Yo!"

Naruto glanced up at him, mumbling a greeting through his food before he concentrated on eating again. Kakashi, noticing no protests, got right to the point, "The Hokage wants to see you two, so, as soon as you're done, head over to his office."

Naruto merely grunted in reply, showing that he'd heard what was said. With his message delivered, Kakashi turned around and ordered some ramen for himself, pork in this case. They finished their meal in silence.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto shared a worried look with Hinata, then returned to watching the Sandaime. They'd told their story to him, and now, here they sat, in the Hokage's office, waiting for the elder man to say something. They'd been waiting about ten minutes.

"You're from…the future?" Sandaime finally asked, a shocked look on his face. He didn't seem to want to believe it. "But…how?"

Naruto sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"We've already told you the how and the why, Sandaime-sama," Hinata said firmly. They'd told him a half-truth about how the village had been destroyed and they had come back to save it…with help from the nine-tails of course.

Sarutobi was still skeptical, "But…why would the nine-tails help you?"

"Normally," Naruto said, "he probably wouldn't have. But, when you're stuck all alone for about nineteen years, you tend to change. So, I befriended him, and he helped us come back."

"So, you took that C-rank mission because you knew it was to protect Tazuna?" Naruto nodded. An understanding seemed to flash through the old man's eyes.

"And you asked to follow him because you were worried about his safety?" Hinata nodded, watching as the Sandaime Hokage sank back into his chair, trying to overcome the shock.

Sarutobi sighed, rubbing his forehead, "So…what happens next?"

Naruto shifted in his seat, "During the upcoming Chuunin Exams, in which Teams Seven, Eight, Ten, and Team Gai will be entered, Orochimaru will show up and mark Sasuke with the Curse Seal."

"But that's only half of it," Hinata continued for him. "While Sasuke is his target, his main goal will be the Sand/Sound invasion during the Sasuke versus Gaara match in the Chuunin Exam Finals. During that invasion, he'll fight you, and you'll die sealing away his arms."

"Unfortunately," Naruto sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned back into his own chair, "neither Hinata nor myself are currently strong enough to prevent all these things from happening. Kakashi is already suspicious of the sudden power jump Hinata and I experienced during this last mission, so my 'Ultimate Summoning' would raise too many questions."

"The only feasible option," Hinata took her turn, "would be to have someone who is known for his or her power to supervise our training. But, at the same time, it wouldn't work. My father is adamant that I not learn anything but Hyuga techniques."

"You need to be stronger, eh?" Sarutobi stood up, opening a vault hidden behind a shelf of books. He pulled out a scroll, shut and locked the vault, and then replaced the bookshelf, "I may have a solution to your problems, but I'd like you to read this first, Naruto-kun."

Grasping the pro-offered scroll, Naruto broke the seal, eager to discover the contents. It read:

_Dear Naruto-kun,_

_If you're reading this, then Sarutobi has decided it's time for you to take your place amongst the greatest of the great. I'm not proud of the fact that I left you with only this scroll, Naruto-kun, but I didn't have enough forewarning to do much else. I regret that I could not be giving you this mission myself._

_This mission is an S-ranked one. You are to take with you the two Genin you trust the most and the Jounin that you feel safest with. The mission itself, while it sounds rather simple, is quite difficult. It is an assassination mission, and your targets are three individuals of amazing strength. They are: Balmung of the Azure Sky, Orca of the Azure Sea, and Kite of the Azure Flame. _

_These targets can be found in a clearing at the border between Fire Country and Wind Country. How will you find it? As soon as you sign your name in blood on the mission scroll, the clearing will appear, and you will be drawn towards it. You'll know you've reached it when you see a translucent blue barrier. All you have to do is walk through that barrier._

_Should succeed in your mission, you will gain incredible strength. Good luck._

_Your Father,  
Kazama Arashi_

"This mission is S-rank, Naruto-kun," Naruto looked up, handing the scroll to Hinata as Sarutobi continued. "It's the very mission that gave the Fourth the inspiration he needed to invent his crowning achievement."

"So all Hinata-chan and I need to do," Naruto said, "is find a Genin and a Jounin to go with us on this mission and we'll suddenly gain strength once its done?"

"I don't know," Sarutobi admitted, shrugging as he puffed on his pipe. "I honestly don't know what will happen on this mission. It varies from person to person."

"All right, then," Naruto had a determined look in his eyes, "we'll do it."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Remind me again why I'm doing this," Sasuke grumbled as he, Kakashi, Hinata, and Naruto made camp. They'd left the walls of Konoha about an hour ago, and they hadn't traveled far since night had crept up on them quickly.

"Because," Naruto said, helping Hinata pitch the tent they'd share, "it's an S-rank mission that could very well triple your power as well as Hinata-chan's and mine. And you need power for your goal in life."

"Right," Sasuke mumbled, pitching the tent he would share with Kakashi while the Jounin was gathering firewood. He sighed, trying to figure the dynamics of the canvas, "Thanks for reminding me."

"It's not that bad, Sasuke-san," Hinata said, helping Naruto. "It's only a four-day mission. It shouldn't be too frustrating."

"So you say," Sasuke said. "But with Kakashi, it will be a lot more complicated than that."

Naruto sighed with satisfaction, dusting his hands off. The tent was up and ready to use, and it hadn't taken an arm and a leg, or even a day to get it set up. Now, though, he was hungry, and there was only one way to solve that.

"Hey, Sasuke," Sasuke looked up. Naruto had his sword out and slung over his shoulder, "I'm going to go looking for some food. Want anything specific?"

Sasuke paused in his tent pitching to think for a second, then shrugged, "It'd be appreciated if you could get some wild boar."

"Right," Naruto nodded, "Hinata-chan likes sushi, so I'll be a little while. Don't kill yourself trying to set that tent up."

Naruto dodged a well-aimed piece of wood as he walked away.

Sasuke went back to his duties as Naruto disappeared into the brush for dinner. He'd never imagined that Naruto would choose _him_ as one of the Genin he could trust most. He'd been surprised when the offer of joining this mission had been made.

"_Hey, Sasuke," Sasuke looked over at the blonde sitting next to him, his chopstick hovering over the bowl of Ramen Naruto was treating him to. "Hinata and I are going on an S-rank mission, and I need one more Genin that I know I can trust to come along. Will you?"_

_Sasuke blinked in surprise, then the words 'S-rank' sank in, "Sure."_

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Oh, I'm stuffed!" Naruto burped loudly, patting his stomach. "Ah!"

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata scolded, picking up another piece of Sushi. She was the last one eating, thanks to the manners that had been drilled into her head by the Hyuga clan. She'd tried to drill them into her (at the time) husband's head, but given up when Konoha had been destroyed. She'd scold him as his girlfriend, but she wasn't about to try and make him civilized after failing so miserably.

Naruto grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, Hinata-chan."

"Now, now, you two," Kakashi said, nose buried in his book. He'd quite enjoyed the fish that Naruto had caught, "No arguing at the dinner table."

The 'dinner table' consisted of four logs and a fire with which they cooked, since they had no real table. Improvisation was something Ninja were good at. The sun had set a little more than an hour ago, and Naruto had returned from his hunting soon after. Kakashi had reappeared about fifteen minutes before him, carrying an almost staggering amount of firewood. Sasuke had to wonder why Kakashi thought they'd need that much.

Sasuke scoffed, holding back a belch of his own, "You're full of it, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi glanced over at him, arching an eyebrow, "Is that any way to treat your sensei?"

"Considering it's you, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, lying on his log, "I don't think it's quite the same."

Kakashi pretended to sniffle, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye, "You guys are horrible."

There was a pause, then all of them broke out laughing. And there, for just that moment, they looked like a family.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto looked around, frowning as his eyes took in the wet walls and pipes. He was in his mindscape, which meant the Kyubi wanted to talk to him. His frown deepened. The nine-tails only brought him here to talk when it was something very serious or dire. So, unless it had something to do with the mission, Naruto was in deep shit.

With anxiety flooding his veins, Naruto trudged down the long hall towards the red glow, his feet sloshing in the ankle-deep water. He knew the route by heart, now. He'd visited the place enough times to get there in his sleep (no pun intended).

He soon came upon the massive room in which the demon fox lived, watching as two giant red eyes opened, focusing on him. He stopped in front of the massive gate, crossing his arms over his chest, "What did you want to see me about, Kyubi?"

"**Naruto,"** the beast acknowledged. The was a splashing sound and some rustling as it made itself comfortable, **"You must quit this mission."**

Naruto blinked, surprised, "Huh?"

"**You must quit this mission,"** it said again, all jeering and teasing gone from its voice.

"I heard that," Naruto said, "but why? Why do I have to quit this mission?"

"**You must NOT challenge the Azure Knights,"** Kyubi stressed the word 'not', making sure he understood that. Naruto wasn't that thick anymore, be he still had his moments. Kyubi didn't want any misunderstanding with this one.

"Why mustn't I?" Naruto asked stubbornly. He wasn't going to oblige without an answer, and that's exactly what he was going to get. One way, or another. "Why should I be worried about these guys?"

"**The Azure Knights are not to be trifled with!"** the beast growled, baring its fangs. The mindscape nearly rumbled at the intensity. **"They are abominations made by the gods to test humanity! They are unstoppable! They are **_**truly**_** immortal!"**

"Obviously, they aren't," Naruto argued, glaring at the demon. "My father beat them, and so can I!"

"**You fool!"** it growled louder, snarling at him. This time, the vibrations did cause the area to shake. **"The Azure Knights are **_**legends**_**, even amongst us tailed beasts! Their leader has the same Chakra absorption power Skeith does!"**

"So?" Naruto asked angrily. "My father beat them, and I can too!"

"**Brat!"** it said, its patience wearing thin. **"Didn't you listen? When did the old man say that your father had **_**completed **_**the mission?"**

"He…!" Naruto paused, thinking, reviewing his conversation with the old man, "…didn't."

"**Ah yes,"** Kyubi cooed, playing on Naruto's uncertainty, **"now do you see? Just because your father **_**took**_** the mission doesn't mean it was a success."**

"Well, I don't care!" Naruto said heatedly. "I'm going to surpass him and beat this mission! Whether you help me or not!"

Kyubi sighed.

"**There's no convincing you, is there?"** Naruto shook his head. **"Fine. Just…don't die."**

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"How much longer till we get there, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, arms folded across his chest as they walked. "We don't want to miss the Chuunin Exams."

"Relax, Sasuke," Kakashi said, one hand in his pocket, the other propping his book open, "the Chuunin Exams don't start for another two weeks."

"Yeah," Naruto said, his fingers laced with Hinata's, "Besides, we'll be there in another two days or so."

Hinata's fingers tightened ever so slightly. Naruto noticed, "Hey, don't be so tense, Hinata-chan. This mission will be easy, I promise."

"I'm just worried, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, biting her lip. "These guys we're after…they sound really strong. I just…don't want you to get hurt."

"Yeah," Naruto frowned. "Fuzzy said so too."

Naruto grinned, giving her a thumbs up, "No worries, though. With what we've learned so far, this should be a piece of cake!"

"Hey, let go of me!" everyone looked from what they were doing to the road ahead, where a group of men was assaulting a brown-haired woman who looked to be in her twenties. She was struggling against one of the men, trying to pull her hands free. The group's intent was obvious.

"Heh, heh, heh, I don't think so, lady!" the one holding her chuckled. "See, we've been out here all alone for quite a while, and we've grown oh so lonely."

He licked her cheek, grinning in savage and primal lust, "So, we need someone to keep us company, and you'll do just fine."

The group laughed loudly, some throwing catcalls, some throwing wolf whistles. Naruto recognized that woman, he was sure. There was something familiar about her, but he just couldn't place who she was. It was like trying to remember a dream. The more you grasped at the details, the more they disappeared.

"You know, you shouldn't pick on innocent women," Kakashi scowled beneath his mask, snapping his book shut. The group of missing nin, which is what they turned out to be, just stared at him. "It really is unlike a gentleman."

"Who…?" the woman turned toward Kakashi's voice, wondering who was coming to her rescue. The path was abandoned as far as she was aware.

Kakashi's eye widened as he took in her face, one that he never thought he'd see again, "Rin…?"

Recognition fluttered across the woman's face, "Kakashi, is that you?"

The man holding her chuckled, looking between the two of them, "Oh, you two know each other? How cute!"

He motioned to the other men in the group, confident of their superior number, "Take care of the scarecrow and his brats!"

They cheered raucously at the top of their voices, only to stop as one of them fell to the ground, headless. Naruto stood above the body, his sword dripping with blood. The group, too stunned to move, froze with terror as Naruto's spirit pressure was released upon them. Some fell to their knees as gravity seemed to triple, others wet themselves, and still more struggled to breathe.

Naruto glared at them, his voice icy, "You immediately assumed that we would be weak just because we're kids, but you never stopped to consider what rank mission we would be on this far into the wilderness, did you?"

Some nodded their heads, hoping that a truthful answer would appease his fury. The pressure lightened, just enough to allow them control of their motor skills, and Naruto growled, "Leave!"

Fast as they could, the entire group fled from the clearing, trying as hard as they could to escape Naruto's wrath. The leader, the one who had been holding Rin, stumbled over his own feet in an attempt to put as much distance between the blonde and himself as he could. When every last one had vanished, the pressure disappeared, as if it was never there in the first place.

Rin was wearing a brown tee shirt, one that did nothing to hide her slightly above average bust, fishnet mesh poking out from under the almost elbow-length sleeves. Baggy black pants, like the ones Kakashi wore, cascaded down her slender legs, disappearing into white wrapping halfway down her shins. Black sandals protected her feet from the elements, matching the dark shuriken holster attached to her right thigh.

Kakashi helped Rin, who had fallen after being let go, to her feet. He waited a second as she regained her bearings, then pulled her into a tight hug. He whispered, "I thought you were dead."

"No, never," Rin whispered, hugging him back, tears streaming down her cheeks, "not after Obito…"

Naruto clearing his throat broke the moment, making Kakashi look in his direction. Confusion, then realization flitted through Kakashi's eye, and he released Rin from his grip. Scratching the back of his head, Kakashi chuckled nervously, a light blush under his mask, "Err…Right. Rin, the boys are my students. The girl is Kurenai's. The blonde is Uzumaki Naruto ("Hey."), the girl is Hyuga Hinata ("Hello, Rin-san."), and the other one is Uchiha Sasuke ("Hn."). Everyone, this is my long lost teammate, Rin."

"Kakashi-kun," Rin said, wrenching her eyes from the three kids and locking onto Kakashi, "you never did explain what you're doing all the way out here."

"Actually," Kakashi said, motioning to each person in turn, "Hinata, Sasuke, and I are just tagging along for a mission that sensei left for Naruto."

"Mission?" Rin asked, perplexed by the concept that the dead could assign a mission.

"Yeah," Kakashi nodded. "I'm the escort, and Hinata and Sasuke are back up. We're on an S-ranked mission that sensei left for Naruto."

"S-rank?" Rin looked at him incredulously, as if he had sprouted a second head. "Isn't that a bit dangerous?"

Kakashi shrugged, squirming uncomfortably, "I suppose…"

"Then I'm coming with you!" Rin said, eyes set determinedly. "Someone's got to be there to pick up the pieces."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto stared at the blue barrier in front of him, gulping down his apprehension. He looked back. Kakashi and Rin were leaning on a tree near the azure wall, unable to enter. They were mere spectators. Hinata stood to his right, looking just as unsure about what was about to occur as he was. Sasuke was at his left, confused and unaware of the dangers that they were about to face.

With a flare of bravery, Naruto turned back around and walked towards the barrier, wondering just what it was that waited for them inside. There was a tingling sensation as he walked through it, then he was standing in a clearing devoid of everything but the grass beneath their feet.

Naruto looked behind himself again. Sasuke and Hinata looked as unsure and confused as he did, standing a few feet behind him, tense and prepared for battle. The Azure Knights, Naruto reasoned, knew they were coming, and so they were preparing for the battle. Instinctually knowing that he couldn't pass through the barrier again until the battle was over, Naruto decided to wait.

So they waited. Two minutes went by, but there was no sign of any other combatants. Five minutes went by and Naruto noticed a fly try to get inside the barrier. It died, fried by the high intensity chakra that the barrier was made of. Ten minutes past, still no sign of the enemies, or any other forms of life.

After the first fifteen minutes, Naruto started to grow impatient. Kakashi was the only one who could be later than ten minutes to something when the ninja world was concerned. He was starting to wonder if these guys even existed.

A gasp from Hinata drew Naruto's attention. Whipping around, he caught sight of a blue orb float down from the treetops and into the barrier, appearing to be made of azure flames. It swooped down between the three Genin, stopping some fifteen feet in front of Naruto, six feet off the ground.

Naruto covered his eyes as the orb exploded with a shock wave of chakra, nearly blinding in its intensity. He blinked as he opened them, restoring his vision to normal and revealing the fuzzy forms of his enemies. He couldn't help the startled, and slightly revolted, gasp that left his lips.

The middle warrior was dressed in red, orange, brown, and yellow clothing that had been stitched together quite obviously. Tiny belts covered most of his shins and a few parts of his thighs. A leather belt, with two looping additions on the side, held his multi-colored pants up. A high collar hid the lower half of his face, with the majority of his chest concealed by a thick leather belt, and a hat much to big for his small frame hid most of his aquatic blue hair.

His elbow-length brown gloves protected the hands that held very familiar tri-bladed dual swords.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata whispered loudly. "His swords…!"

"Kara no Sora," Naruto said, awed.

The middle figure tilted his head back, his green eyes glaring at the three people before him, his sharp, carnivorous teeth poking out of his mouth, "_Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…_"

"Hu!" The figure to the middle one's left was tall and bare, save a thick fur loincloth, metal boots, and a shoulder pad. The majority of his skin was, except his left arm and shins, was an greenish aqua, his neck-length brown hair all slicked back. Thick white lines divided his body into sections, but the grossest part about the man was that, while he had stitching like the boy next to him, it was his _skin_ that was stitched together, not his clothing.

The man had a maroon cleaver in his hand, much like the one Ichigo used.

The third figure was silent, his eyes covered by his the long bangs of his white hair. It flared out like Sasuke's, but did so in every direction but towards the man's face. He wore armor, large portions of which appeared to have been hacked away. He wore blue gauntlets and cobalt leg armor, both of which appeared to be in fine condition. He also had wings, or had wings at one point. All the remained of them were a few jagged, purple 'bones' that sprouted from the feathers at his shoulders. In his hand, he held what appeared to be a single-edged crimson broadsword with spikes to replace the hand guard.

"What are these people?" Sasuke whispered. "They're like zombies!"

One of the warriors fidgeted slightly.

Naruto's left hand snapped forward, pointing at the winged guy, "Hadō Number Four: Byakurai!" (Path of Destruction: White Lightning)

A bolt of lightning shot forth, hitting the man directly in his unprotected shoulder, sending his the left half of his torso reeling out of sight. There was a pause, then the man stood straight again, unharmed.

Like that had been the signal for start, the fighters flung themselves at each other, intent on causing as much harm as possible.

Naruto sliced through the winged man's arm, only to have him disappear in a flash of blue and reappear a few feet away, unharmed. With a frustrated growl, Naruto flew at him again, clashing his sword against the crimson edge of the winged man's weapon. The winged man seemed tireless and invincible, no matter what Naruto did.

"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!" Hinata chanted, pointing at the azure skinned man charging at her. "Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudô Number Nine: Geki!" (Path of Binding: Hit)

The man seemed to pause a second as the spell took effect, covering him in a red aura. Then, less than a second later, the aura disappeared, freeing the man from its effects. Too surprised to react in time, Hinata took the full brunt of his shoulder in her stomach, flying back a surprising distance.

Sasuke ducked under the weapons sent his way, bending down an impossible distance. There. He took advantage in the small person's opening in his guard, kicking him in the chin as he did a back flip. He smirked going through hand seals as he landed and his opponent tried to stand. He stopped on tiger, "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

A fireball burst forth, engulfing the miniature person as he stood. Sasuke's smirk widened, then disappeared. The red-clad figure flicked his blade and the flames turned azure, slowly dissipating into nothing. Sasuke's jaw fell down.

Naruto took a jump back, landing away from his enemy. He looked around, watching as his friends tried to combat the immortal…creatures standing before them. He suddenly realized just how right Kyubi had been.

"**There's nothing to do about it now,"** the beast said. **"You can't summon Skeith in such an enclosed space, but you **_**can**_** still tap into his abilities."**

"_What abilities?"_ Naruto asked, glad that the winged man wasn't attacking him. _"Physical attacks don't work!"_

"**Remember what you used against Shukaku?"** Memories flashed through Naruto's head, and he gave the mental equivalent of a nod. **"The Azure Knights are essentially chakra constructs. Therefore, by using **_**that**_** against them, you destroy them."**

"_How?"_

"**Hold out your right arm,"** Naruto obeyed, holding his arm, palm forward, shoulder-level and pointing it at the smallest figure. **"Go through the half seals for tiger, rat, dragon, boar, ox, snake, tiger, and snake." **Naruto did as told, chakra forming the funnel-shaped bracelet he'd only seen once before.

"**Now, tiger seal!"** Naruto did so.

Lines of chakra shot forth from the bracelet, spearing the red clad warrior.

"_Ggrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!_" In a flash, the lines disappeared, leaving the bracelet to slowly rotate on Naruto's wrist.

Naruto watched, horrified, as the figure stood there, glaring at him, as if nothing had happened. Then, slowly, the figure's body began to blur and shift as, piece by piece, every particle of his body disintegrated into the air. In under a minute, the mysterious being was gone.

A load of information rushed through his brain, all identifying the three figures they had been battling. The small one was Kite of the Azure Flame. The winged man was Balmung of the Azure Sky, and the topless one was Orca of the Azure Sea.

"**Now, aim,"** Naruto swiveled around, pointing the object on his wrist towards Balmung. **"Again! Tiger Seal!"**

Lines of chakra speared Balmung this time, and, much like Kite before him, he slowly disappeared, leaving only his sword behind.

Naruto turned, even as another influx of information swept through his brain, targeting Orca at last. With another quick hand seal, chakra lines shot forth again, stabbing themselves through the aquatic figure known as Orca.

Naruto felt a pain start to build up in his hand, suddenly realizing that he'd been absorbing chakra as well as information. Following the insistence of the Kyubi, he pointed his arm skyward, forcing the extra chakra out through the bracelet.

Lines of chakra shot forth once more, twisting their star bound path until they'd speared the walls of the barrier. A flash of light and one loud crash later, the bracelet was gone and the barrier had fallen, freeing the Genin of their prison.

Naruto felt ready to collapse, the adrenaline leaving his body. His knees about to give out, he began to turn towards Kakashi and Rin when he froze in horror.

The weapons of the defeat Knights slowly rose from the ground, breaking down until they were not but three balls of crimson light. These balls hovered, as if calculating the three that had defeated their owners. Then, before anyone could stop them, the three orbs split up, one entering Hinata, one fusing with Sasuke, and the last merging with Naruto.

Another well of information rushed through Naruto's brain, showing him details and pictures of something the orb had unlocked deep within him. Powers that he had not even been aware of were suddenly shown to him and two phrases kept coming to the surface: "Bankai" and "Shinkuu Nigemizu Zangetsu".

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Kakashi smiled, hefting Naruto onto his back. He chuckled, hearing Naruto mumble about 'Hinata-chan' and 'Ramen' in his sleep. He'd never figured Naruto was dreaming about the Hyuga girl in such a manner, despite having seen the kiss on Tazuna's bridge.

Rin was carrying Hinata, who was just as asleep as Naruto, and Sasuke, by some miracle, was still awake. All three looked a little worse for wear, with rips and tears in their clothes, and Kakashi could understand why. He and Rin had played witness to the battle, and the odds hadn't seemed good. He'd understood, then, why it was an S-ranked mission.

Kakashi couldn't help the smile that graced his lips as they walked off, headed towards the setting sun and Konoha, "Mission: Accomplished."

o.0.O.O.0.o —

Next time…

"_I want to battle you, Uzumaki Naruto."— Gaara_

"_If this is how you're going to be, Orochimaru…Ban-Kai!" — Naruto_

"_Naruto-kun…I hope you're all right."— Hinata_

"_What are you? St-stay away from me, you BASTARD!"— Sasuke_

"_How to solve this…Orochimaru, you won't succeed!" — Sandaime_

"_I won't run away! In order to kill that man…I _must_ survive!" — Sasuke_

"_**That Snake Bastard won't know what hit him! Heh, heh. You're Bankai…it's amazing!" **__— Kyubi_

"_The written test is over, now the REAL exam begins!" — Naruto_

"_Kamisori no Ha!" — Unknown_

"_Yoko no Tsuki!" — Unknown_

"_So, Naruto-kun…is this the extent of your power? Is this the power of the Fourth's Legacy? Or is this the power of Kazama Naruto?"—Sandaime_

_The Chuunin Exams begin and the Rookie Nine meets the Sand Siblings. Morino Ibiki comes into the picture, the only thing preventing Naruto from tearing out Kabuto's throat. This time, Naruto doesn't interfere with the elimination process, allowing Ibiki's mind games to take out another third of the teams before the second part begins. Anko's entrance is grand, as it always had been, and she manages to scare Sakura, as well as a few others. Then, she takes them to the Forest of Death._

_Will Orochimaru manage to mark Sasuke? Will Naruto destroy the Snake Sennin early? What about Hinata? Will she help Naruto in his battle against the bastard? Or will she let her boyfriend take care of the most minor of nuisances?_

_Next time, "The Heaven's Roar! Zangetsu Awakens." _

** — o.0.O.O.0.o —   
A/N Yes! Chapter Four is up and running! Within 24 hours of chapter three, no less!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, (Dot) Hack, or Bleach**

**I don't know if I'll ever be using Rurouni Kenshin ever again, but I put it in there just in case. So, those of you who are disappointed about that…sorry.**

**Listen up, I have to make something terribly clear here.**

**So far, I've respected each and every one of my reviewers and their reviews, but I'm afraid I've grown tired of some of the things I've heard. The point of reviews is **_**not**_** to tell me how much I suck or how much my stories suck. The point of reviews is for the readers to offer **_**constructive**_** criticism, or to tell me what you like or dislike (not hate) about the story you're reviewing. So, for those few of you out there who have decided you don't like this story, if you don't have anything **_**nice**_** or **_**constructive**_** to say, **_**button your lips.**_

**I'm not dumb. I **_**can**_** read between the lines.**

**The release of Chapter Five…err, I'm not sure about when that'll be. I need the inspiration to write it first.**

**Bakudō**:  
Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudō Number Nine: Geki! (Path of Binding: Hit)

**Hadō**:  
Hadō Number Four: Byakurai (Path of Destruction: White Lightning) 

_**In front of one Epitaph, only a small AIDA, only a small truth will appear…**_

**James Daniel Fawkes**

_James Daniel Fawkes_**(Signature best viewed in **_**Wendy Medium**_** font style)**


	5. The Heavens' Roar! Zangetsu Awakens

_Ken wo nigira nakerya omae no koto wo  
Mamoru koto wa deknai  
Aa oretachi wa minna me wo aketa mama  
Sora wo tobu yume wo miteirun da_

_Wo-wo-wo  
Ikiteru yatsura mo shinda yatsura mo  
Kanashimi no DEKA sa wa onaji  
Rikutsu ja nai sa namida wo mitakunai dake  
Tamashii ga sakebu TATTOOS ON THE SKY_

_Wo-wo-wo  
Waruburu tsumori mo seigi demo nai  
Ore ni mo wakaranai chikara  
Rikutsu ja nai sa omae wo mamoritai dake  
Karada ga unaru TATTOOS ON THE SKY  
TATTOOS ON THE SKY  
TATTOOS ON THE SKY_

"_Tattoos on the Sky"  
By: Morita Masakazu_

"You know, Rin," Kakashi said, stirring the sugar at the bottom of his coffee mug, "you never did tell me what you were doing out there."

Rin smiled, stirring her own mug, this one of tea, "You never asked, Kakashi-kun."

Kakashi sighed exasperatedly, grinning at her childish antics, "Well, Rin. I'm asking now."

The mood in the early morning café immediately turned solemn, any trace of good morning humor gone. The barkeep, sensing that this conversation was best kept between the two sitting at his bar, moved on to serve the half-asleep man at the other end. Some things are best kept private.

"Well, Kakashi," Rin started, trying to find the words, "I…after Obito died, I…didn't really think there was much left for me in Konoha. I was an orphan, the only family I had wasn't related to me by blood, and my best friend had just died."

Kakashi grasped her free hand tightly, running a soothing thumb over the backs of her knuckles.

"So," she continued, taking a deep sip of her tea, "I did the only thing that made sense at the time. I packed up my stuff, and went to find Tsunade-sama."

"Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi asked. Rin nodded.

"It took me a year," Rin admitted, "but I found her. After that, I stuck around for six or seven more years, learning everything I could from her. Things grew stuffy after those six years, and I really couldn't take the inactivity that I suffered while with her.

"So, I left. I wandered Fire Country, stopping at villages for a few months at a time and putting my talents to good use," Rin gave Kakashi a small smile. "Then you found me. I thought…after hearing about how many died in the Nine-tails attack…I thought you were one of them."

"Never, Rin," Kakashi said quietly, squeezing her hand comfortingly, "Sensei may be gone, Obito may be gone, but we're still a team."

**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce  
By: **James D. Fawkes

**Chapter Five: The Heavens' Roar! Zangetsu Awakens  
— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

Naruto sipped his ramen broth happily, grinning broadly at his girlfriend, Hinata, who sat next to him at Ichiraku's Ramen stand. She giggled, distracted from her own bowl of chicken flavored noodles by the silliness of his face, covered as it was with broth and bits of pork. Naruto, seemingly oblivious to this, just grinned wider.

"Hey, you two," Sasuke interrupted the romantic scene, "don't be getting all mushy on me, now."

Turning around, Naruto pulled his left eyelid down and stuck out his tongue, "Nuh!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, scoffing, "I can't believe that the Uchiha clan gave birth to such an idiot!"

"I would have had a hard time believing it myself," Rin sat down next to Sasuke, grinning, "if I hadn't met Obito. He was even _more_ ridiculous!"

Sasuke looked at Naruto, who had turned back to Hinata and was regaling her with some silly joke or another. He shook his head, "Somehow, I doubt that."

"I wouldn't be too sure," Kakashi said, sitting down on the stool next to Rin, "Obito was quite the character."

"Yeah," Rin said, "constantly late, chronically tardy, always pulling jokes…he didn't know when to quit!"

"I remember," Kakashi said wistfully, "he was my self-appointed rival. We were always arguing about one thing or another. When this team first formed, I thought I'd have to deal with that all over again. Only this time, I'd be the Sensei watching it all happen."

"Really?" Rin asked, surprised. "You never told me that."

"Oh yeah," Kakashi said, ignoring the chance to order food. "When I read the profiles, I'd found that Naruto was quite like Obito, though not always late, that Sasuke was a lot like me, and that Sakura had a big crush on Sasuke. Reminded me of our team way back when."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

After about an hour of talking, it began to grow dark and Kakashi and Rin left without eating. Naruto suspected they were going back to Kakashi's apartment for a romantic, candlelit dinner for two, and told Hinata as much. She giggled, her fingertips covering her lips.

Sasuke put some money down on the counter, standing with the intent of walking back home. He'd not gone three steps when a voice stopped him in his tracks and interrupted the joke Naruto had been telling Hinata, "Well, well, what do we have here? A few weak Konoha Genin sitting around for a poor dinner?"

Naruto tilted his head back, looking at the black clothed boy Kankuro from the corner of his eye. Pushing himself off the stool and into the air, Naruto did a flip, landing on his feet, facing the two Sand ninja, Temari and Kankuro, his hand grasping Zangetsu's hilt lightly, "What are you doing here?"

Kankuro smirked, "Chuunin Exams, fool."

The blonde girl, Temari, rolled her eyes, "I'm not getting involved in this."

She huffed, putting her hands on her hips, "We're _supposed _to be heading back for the hotel, _not_ picking fights with locals."

"Don't worry," Kankuro smirked, pulling the wrapped package off of his back, "I won't take too long."

Naruto smirked back, his sword humming metallically as he pulled the black steel from its sheath, "I can handle this one myself, Zangetsu."

The black blade quieted. Behind him, Naruto could faintly sense Zangetsu's astral form nod, understanding what Naruto meant.

Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle at Kankuro's confidence, or arrogance, as the case may be. The boy with Kabuki face paint had no idea what he was up against. Sasuke, having been with Naruto through all of his missions (including the S-rank one), knew what that simple-looking black sword, and its wielder, could do, "You're a fool."

Kankuro chuckled quietly as he started to unwrap the bulky object at his side, only to freeze as every muscle in his body tensed at the sound of one voice. An icy chill swept down his spine, every sensible part of his brain telling him to run away as fast as he could, just to escape the sudden presence that had crept up behind himself and Temari, but he couldn't move.

"Put that away, Kankuro."

Kankuro turned his head slowly, knowing that voice without having to inspect the owner. That voice, so cold and stoic, so harsh and firm, yet so quiet, could only belong to one person on the planet. There was only one person who could blend so many different tones into one voice and not sound funny or weird.

Kankuro locked eyes with his bloodthirsty younger brother, Sabaku no Gaara.

"O-of course, Gaara," Kankuro stuttered, trying to reassure his acquiescence to the redhead's order with a smile, "whatever you say."

"So we finally meet," Naruto smirked, absently noting Sasuke's presence beside him. "I figured that I could draw you out. It just took the right…bait."

Everyone went silent for a whole minute, Gaara staring directly into Naruto's eyes and Naruto staring back, their companions tense and ready for a battle. Hinata was fingering the hilt of her sword, ready in case a fight broke out. Sasuke looked like he would jump at the slightest provocation, a kunai grasped tightly in his hand. Kankuro looked frightened, as if someone was going to transform into a monster any second, and Temari shared a similar look of terror. As Naruto's impressive reiatsu covered the area and Gaara's mix of chakra and youki spread out like a thick mist, it's up for debate who the sand siblings were afraid of.

Kankuro breathed heavily, trying to force air into his lungs. He'd never thought it was possible for someone to die _just_ from killing intent, but it seemed that the blond boy was trying to prove him wrong. The intensity of the short ninja's bloodlust or _whatever-the-hell-it-was_ made it incredibly hard to breathe, and his chest felt like it was being crushed by some pressure trying to squeeze the air out of him. There was _no way_ it was all coming from the same person.

Temari clutched her throat, willing oxygen to travel down her windpipe. The boy that she'd initial brushed off as weak was proving to be nearly as bad, if not worse, than her little brother, and _that_ was saying something. Temari paused, looking back up at the blond boy, analyzing the whisker marks and other features about him, then matched his powerful intent up with her brother's. Her eyes widened. They were facing another demon host.

Then, as if they had never been there in the first place, both pressures disappeared instantly. Neither Naruto nor Gaara had moved from their initial positions, and neither appeared affected by the amazing display of power they had been showing off. Each of the two looked calm, as though nothing had happened at all.

Without warning or notice, Gaara turned and made to leave, saying, "We're leaving."

"You've been through a lot, Gaara. You're full of hate and anger," Naruto said quietly. Gaara froze mid-step, "But not all of that is yours. Let me know if you want to have that crazy raccoon sealed up better."

Gaara turned, staring with bloodshot eyes at the blonde. His voice was almost an octave deeper when he said, "I am Sabaku no Gaara. What's your name?"

Naruto grinned, sheathing his sword, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and the brooding guy next to me (Sasuke glared at him) is Uchiha Sasuke."

Nodding, a bloodthirsty grin threatening to spread across his lips, Gaara turned around, his back to the Leaf ninja, "I want to fight you, Uzumaki Naruto."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Kankuro," Kankuro looked over at the red-haired boy a foot or three away from him, suppressing a reflexive gulp at the seriousness of his brother's tone, "You'd do well not to mess with that boy, Uzumaki Naruto. He's way out of your league."

"I don't know, Gaara," Kankuro put on a confident air. "He seemed pretty weak to me."

"Fool," Gaara spat disgustedly. "Be a ninja. Look underneath the underneath."

Kankuro looked back over his shoulder at the blond as Gaara continued, "He may not look like much, but that's just that, appearances. That sword of his has a powerful aura about it, nearly as powerful as Uzumaki's aura…I have no doubt that sword could carve out your soul."

Gaara gave Kankuro a hard stare, "Your puppets would be useless against that enchanted steel. _You_ would be useless against that blade."

"Besides," an excited, bloodthirsty grin stretched across Gaara's face, "He's a Jinchuuriki, just like _me_. _I_ want to be the one to kill him."

Kankuro shivered at the insanity rolling off Gaara in waves, a murderous glint in the Shukaku host's eyes. He knew better than to interfere when his little brother got like this, "Whatever you say, Gaara. It's your call."

"F-for right now," Temari interrupted, steering the conversation to safer grounds, "let's just get back to the hotel."

Gaara grunted, showing that he heard her. With an air of indifference, he walked forward, leading them in the direction they had _originally _been headed. His chance would come. He just had to wait a little while for it to present itself.

Temari shared a concerned look with her black-clad brother, worried that her other brother, Gaara, would do something he, or they, might later regret.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

The next day, two and a half hours after the scheduled meeting time, the Genin members of Team Seven glared at their tardy sensei. Hatake Kakashi scratched the back of his head sheepishly, slowly backing away from the disconcerting waves of murderous intent oozing from Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto's eyes. He had the decency to seem slightly ashamed.

"Well," Kakashi chuckled nervously, "it seems I've found you all in a good mood."

"Stop messing with them, Kashi-kun," Rin appeared as if from nowhere, scolding the gray-haired twenty-six-year-old man. "You promised you'd take me out to lunch."

Kakashi blushed beneath his mask, waving his arms wildly, as if she'd said something he didn't want everyone to know. From the growing smirk on his students' faces, that assessment was probably very accurate.

"_So_, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura started, making sure to draw out the 'so' extra long.

"You're taking Rin-san," Naruto continued, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"To lunch?" Sasuke finished, a smirk on his lips.

Kakashi remained silent, though the blush creeping up his face from under his mask betrayed his stoic silence. He fished through his kunai pouch, producing three pieces of paper, his voice calm, "I've entered the three of you in the Chûnin Exams. You have two days to decide whether or not you're going to enter."

Then, with a wave and a wisp of smoke, Kakashi and Rin disappeared.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

It wasn't anywhere near as impressive or overwhelming the third time around, Naruto mused as Sasuke and Sakura took in the huge room around them. He fidgeted slightly, trying to get used to the new clothing.

It wasn't much of a change, actually. He still wore the fishnet shirt underneath his black tee shirt, and his sword was still slung over his shoulder (in a black sheath he had actually paid for; Urahara had yet to ask for that favor). The only actual difference was his pants. Whereas before, he wore black cargo pants like Gaara, he had changed them after the wave mission. Hakama were very comfortable, so Naruto got a pair that ended just under his knee, an inch or so of elastic fabric clinging to the tip top of his shin. He'd stitched white cloth over the traditional low cuts on the sides of the legs (on the inside, anyway), and he liked the contrast. Like usual, black wrapping traveled down his shins and disappeared into equally black sandals.

Just as they walked through the door, a rabid blond girl, Yamanaka Ino, attached herself to Sasuke's arm, rubbing her cheek up against his biceps, "Sasuke-kun! You're late!"

Ignoring the scowl on his face, she giggled, a disturbing grin on her face as she leaned over to whisper in his ear, "I haven't seen you in a while, so I've been waiting in excitement!"

"You guys are taking this exam, too? Man, this is _so_ troublesome," Naruto recognized the voice immediately. It belonged to one of the few _real_ geniuses of the ninja world. Turning, he caught sight of Nara Shikamaru's distinct, pineapple shaped hair and the obese form of the Nara's best friend, Akimichi Chouji.

Naruto grinned, "Well, if it isn't the idiot trio!"

"Well, well," Naruto turned again to find Kiba sauntering over with a distinct stagger in his step, the small dog Akamaru on top his head. "It seems that the entire rookie nine is here. I wonder how far we'll get, eh, Sasuke-kun?"

"Naruto-kun!" Naruto took a step back to balance himself as Hinata threw herself into his arms, laughing happily. He gave her a quick hug and a quick kiss on the lips, grinning a goofy grin. Looking over her shoulder, he saw Kiba glaring at him, Shino keeping the dog boy from attacking him.

"Hey, you guys," Naruto tensed, feeling Hinata do the same. Kabuto approached them, "you should be quieter."

"**You know what you should do?"** Kyubi's dark, heavy voice was a welcome distraction from Kabuto's deceptively friendly tone. **"You should…"**

Images flashed through Naruto's mind, showing him gory depictions of what he 'should do' to Kabuto, most involving Zangetsu and slow, painful castration, followed by an agonizing death. Naruto had to suppress the nasty smirk that threatened to spread across his face.

"_Maybe,"_ Naruto placated the demon, _"just maybe…"_

"Hey, you have anything on Uzumaki Naruto of the Hidden Leaf?"

Naruto's gaze pivoted, locking on to Inuzuka Kiba, the one who had asked the question. He knew Kiba was jealous of his relationship with Hinata, but…

Naruto could only watch, too stunned to do anything, as Kabuto channeled chakra to his hand and swiped a card from the top of the deck. With flourish, he twisted it in his fingers and read its contents out loud.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he said, eyes sweeping back and forth. "Age: 12. His teammates are Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, his sensei is Hatake Kakashi. Missions he's completed: thirty D-rank, one C-rank turned A-rank, and…one S-rank. Other than that…it's all question marks."

Kiba frowned, obviously disappointed with the results. Clearly, he expected to have better information on the only person he considered a rival for Hinata's love and attention. How he would have exploited any information is something only he knew.

"Everything else aside," Naruto's gaze swiveled around to lock onto Kabuto again, "it'd be a good idea if you avoided ninja from certain villages."

"Oh?" Kiba asked, arching an eyebrow. "And which villages might those be?"

"Stop trying to act cool, Kiba!" Sakura bopped him on the head. Hard. "Only Sasuke-kun can act cool!"

"Yeah!" Ino ganged up on him, kicking the downed boy in his unprotected stomach, "I agree with forehead girl! Stop acting cool!"

"What did you call me, Ino-pig?!"

"You heard me, billboard brow!"

Shaking his head, Kabuto turned his attention to the remaining Genin, "Anyway, it'd be wise if you avoided the Ame-nin over there. They have a dangerous temper."

"All right, you maggots!" Naruto turned towards Ibiki's commanding voice, letting go of Hinata. Ino and Sakura paused as well, fists still raised. "Calm down and shut up!"

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Ibiki grinned slightly, creeping out the Genin in the first few rows. For one with sadistic tendencies, such as himself, this was one of the most fun places to be, in one of the best set of circumstances out there. There was just something about scaring arrogant and snotty Genin that made his day.

"Now that we're all seated, my name is Morino Ibiki. I will be the chief examiner for the first test of the Chûnin Selection Exams."

Naruto grinned as Ibiki explained the rules of the exam, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms. The true purpose of the test…all he had to do was wait for the tenth question and he would be in the clear.

Naruto glanced to his right, where Hinata sat in a similar relaxed state, knowing just as well as he did that there was no reason to fret over the test. He had to smile. It was nice to have a companion in his self-appointed mission to save the future, especially when that companion was the one person he could share all of his secrets with. He wouldn't have it any other way.

His attention snapped back to the front as the test started, knowing that he would be deducted points for cheating if he looked anywhere else. He may not have to take the test to pass it, but he sure had to abide by the rules if he wanted to stay a part of it.

A movement caught Naruto's eye, so he glanced upward, resisting the urge to smirk. Several wires, too thin for anyone to notice unless they were actively looking for them, connected themselves to mirrors on the ceiling. The mirrors themselves reflected the whole of one person's test paper, answers and all. This caught someone's attention, though.

"Something wrong, number 47?" Ibiki asked, a smirk twitching on his lips. That was _too_ obvious.

"Nope," Naruto smiled innocently, shrugging, "just counting the boards on the ceiling, that's all."

A small, disbelieving smile made its way onto Ibiki's face as he nodded.

Naruto looked over at the clock, frowning as he realized just how much longer he'd have to wait.

"_Twenty-five minutes have past,"_ he thought absently, leaning back against the back of his seat, _"twenty minutes left to go."_

Five minutes later, Naruto was fast asleep, snoring lightly.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Now, the tenth question," Naruto snapped awake as Ibiki's voice interrupted the almost absolute silence of the room, "but first, we need to add one more rule."

Naruto crossed his arms as everyone dropped their pencils to listen, Hinata sitting still beside him. He wasn't going to stick up for the entire group, this time. The fewer enemies he had, the easier it would be to finish the next test and spend some quality time with Hinata. All he had to do was sit back and wait for things to pan out.

"This rule is absolute," said Ibiki, all of the mirth leaving his eyes. He looked at the group assembled before him, his gaze frosty. "First, you must decide whether or not you want to take this question…"

Temari's hands slammed against the table in front of her as she stood, an angry uncertainty on her face, "Ch-choose?"

She'd done this in the original timeline as well, Naruto remembered. She was scared of failing the question, and afraid of what would happen should she and her teammates not make it through the exam. Naruto knew from experience just how ruthless Orochimaru was. He wouldn't hesitate to kill any of his weak links.

"What happens if someone rejects the question?" Temari asked, voice filled with dread.

Ibiki paused dramatically, adding to the already stifling tension, "If you reject the question, you lose all of your points, and you and your teammates will fail this exam."

Temari fell back into her seat with a dull thud, horror written across her face.

"But…the other rule," Ibiki continued, a smirk on his lips, "if you take the question and can't answer it correctly, you'll be stuck as a Genin for the rest of you natural life."

"I-I quit!" one Genin said, his headband making him out as a ninja of the Village Hidden in the Stone.

One of the Chûnin at the side of the room checked something off on his clipboard, shouting, "Numbers twenty-six, thirty-five, and fifty-nine, you're out!"

Naruto watched, with faint amusement, as multiple Genin quit, and the number of people within the room began to dwindle. Without his outburst, the Genin population quickly went from a hundred and two, to ninety-two, then dropped again to seventy-five. A further eight teams dropped out, leaving fifty-one people, seventeen teams, sitting in front of the examiner.

Naruto's fist, which had been raised in the air, slammed onto the desk in front of him. He resisted the urge to glare at the good-natured Sakura, who had thought it would be better to spare him the torture of being a Genin forever than it would to risk it, and who had also forced him to commit his outburst, "The enemy won't care if I'm a Genin or a Jônin, they'd attack me just the same, so I don't care if I get this question of yours wrong.

"Besides," he grinned, "you're automatically promoted to Jônin when you become ANBU, and the only ranks that the ANBU don't recruit from are the Academy students."

"Is that so?" Ibiki resisted the urge to smirk at how correct the statement had been. "Anyone else going to quit?"

Silence greeted his question, and Ibiki smiled, "For those of you remaining, congratulations on passing the first test!"

A window shattered, a rolled up ball of cloth flying through it. As it reached Ibiki, it unraveled, four kunai pinning its corners to the ceiling and floor. A woman was soon discovered to have been hiding inside it, her purple hair pulled into a loose clip on the back of her head.

"Don't get so excited! I'm the proctor for the second exam and it won't be so easy!" she grinned. "I'm Mitarashi Anko!"

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Let's go!" Anko pumped her fist into the air enthusiastically, shouting, "Follow me!"

Pushing the fabric out of his way, Ibiki leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Er…bad timing…"

A red blush lit up Anko's face, her arm frozen in mid air. Flooded with embarrassment, she slowly lowered her hand, quiet for the first time since she had arrived. She quickly scanned the large room, taking in the number of people left. Forty-nine confused faces met her gaze, staring at her questioningly.

She seemed slightly surprised by the number of people left as she turned back to the examiner for the first test, "Fifty-one? Ibiki, you left seventeen teams? I'm surprised."

"Yeah, well," Ibiki rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "what can I say? There were a lot of exceptional ones this year."

"Oh well, it doesn't make much of a difference," Anko chuckled darkly, licking her lips in anticipation. "I'll cut their numbers in half with the next test."

A number of the Genin shivered in trepidation, nervous because of her remark. Naruto simply smirked, sharing a knowing look with Hinata. Neither of their teams would fail this exam, of that much they could be assured.

"Ahhh. I'm getting excited!" Anko licked her lips a second time, a smirk lighting up her face. "I'll explain more once we get a change of scenery. This drab exam room is too stuffy. Follow me…if you dare…"

Several Genin gulped nervously.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Following Anko brought them to a large, fenced in forest with monstrous trees. The trunks of these trees were impossibly huge, and twisted unnaturally, as if they had been mutated. A decrepit sign hung from the rusty fence, suspended by ancient-looking chain, its faded printing the only unbiased warning they would get: DANGER! STAY OUT!

"Welcome to the stage for the second test of the Chûnin Exam," Anko walked stopped in front of the fence, her smug tone contradicting the frightening aura of the forest. She turned around, her trench coat swaying lightly in the gentle breeze. A malevolent grin twitched on her lips, "This is Training Area Forty-four, affectionately dubbed…the Forest of Death. Unfortunately for you guys, you're about to find out why first hand."

"Yeah," Naruto snorted, crossing his arms over his chest, "I'm sure we will."

Naruto tilted his head to the side as Anko's kunai flew harmlessly past his cheek. There was a blur, then Naruto disappeared. The grin slipped off Anko's face, who had managed to get to the space behind Naruto. A kunai pressed against her throat lightly, drawing a small, thin cut in her skin.

"Dear Anko-chan," Naruto whispered into her ear, "I know you like to play rough, but I'm afraid I'm just not your type."

Anko twisted around, swinging her fist violently, only to hit nothing but air. She looked surprised, her face betraying just how unexpected the disappearance had been.

"Now, now," Naruto said, a few feet from where he'd originally been, "don't we have a test to be getting to?"

Anko grinned, walking back to where she'd initially stood. A smirk tugged at her lips as she looked at the assembled Genin, "Seems some of you have a bit of talent. You'll be the first to go."

"Now," she said, reaching into her trench coat. "Before we begin, there's a little something I have to pass out to you little brats."

She whipped out a stack of papers, flashing them in the younger ninjas' faces, "You must sign these agreement waivers. There'll be deaths in this one, and if you don't sign, I'll be responsible."

After the papers made their way around, she continued, "Now that I have your attention, let's explain the second test, then you can sign those forms afterwards. And then each team will check in at that booth behind me.

"Now then, simply put, you will attempt the ultimate survival test." She unrolled a scroll depicting a map of the area, "Around Training Area number Forty-four are forty-four locked gates. About ten kilometers from each gate is a tower in the center. During the survival in here, you will be asked to complete a certain task. Using your many weapons and Jutsu, you will compete in a…"

She pulled out two scrolls, "…No rules scroll battle. You will fight over these two scrolls, 'Heaven' and 'Earth'.

"There are seventeen teams here, meaning eight will get a 'Heaven' scroll, and nine will get an 'Earth' scroll. Your team must make it to the tower with both scrolls."

She grinned at them evilly, "And you have a time limit."

"Now then," She held up a hand, "Things that will get you disqualified." She held up one finger, "First, those that don't get to the tower with both scrolls within the time limit." A second finger rose, "Second, those who lose a teammate or whose teammate is killed." A third finger ascended, "Lastly, you must not look inside the scrolls until you make it to the tower."

She shoved her hands into her coat, "Exchange the three forms for a scroll and chose a gate to get ready for the start. Oh, and a final word of advice…just don't die!"

Quickly, everyone turned in their forms for a scroll, huddling with their teammates to discuss battle strategies. Kiba seemed to be bragging to Hinata about something, flexing his muscles while ignored him. Shino watched impassively, no sign of any emotion on his face.

Naruto looked over at Team Ten, where Chouji was snacking on another bag of potato chips he'd pulled out of nowhere. As lazy as ever, Shikamaru stood with a bored expression on his face, his hands in his pockets as he gazed up at the clouds with half-lidded eyes. Ino stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her right foot tapping against the ground impatiently. Her eyes flickered across the ground, undoubtedly searching for something to distract her from her half-hearted teammates.

"Come on, Naruto!" Naruto turned around to look at Sakura, who was motioning for him to follow her. "It's almost time for the exam to start!"

"Get ready!" Anko shouted. "The exam starts in exactly fifteen minutes! Follow an instructor to a gate!"

Smiling, Naruto followed his team and the silent instructor to a gate. Sasuke was impassive as ever, a confident poise to his walk. Sakura was uneasy, as shown by the nervousness in her delicate, almost hesitant, steps. Naruto knew he didn't need to worry about anything, not with his new Bankai. Orochimaru wouldn't stand a chance.

After all, it's like Lee said. "It doesn't matter if you can see the movements. As long as you're body is too slow to react, you can't win."

The shrill sound of a whistle cut through the air, accompanied by Anko's voice, "The second test of the Chûnin Selection Exams starts now!"

In a collective blur, all seventeen teams dashed through the gates, intent on finding a scroll and making it to the center. All but the grass team, whose target was a little less obvious.

Orochimaru smirked. This was going to be fun.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto suddenly stopped on the forest floor, a frown marring his face. Sasuke and Sakura stopped next to him, questions in the gaze. Sakura seemed nervous.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Sasuke asked casually, arms crossed over his chest.

Naruto's frown deepened, "I…have to take a piss."

Sasuke's right eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He brought a swift fist down on his cousin's head, reveling in the angry curse he was rewarded with. He shook his head disappointedly, muttering, "Idiot."

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto made for the nearest tree, shooting a glare over his shoulder, "I'll be back in a minute, so don't follow me."

"Whatever," Sasuke mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Silence settled over the group as Naruto walked behind a tree to answer the call of nature. All was quiet but for the sound of Naruto unzipping his pants as he prepared to water the tree, and the distant cries of animals inhabiting the forest.

It was violently broken by Naruto's loud voice, "Damn it! Can't a guy take a whiz in peace? Jeez!"

There was a loud thud, followed by a resounding crunch as a body flew through the air and became embedded in a tree trunk. Sasuke almost gave a pitying wince at the pain that ninja had to be in at that moment. Almost. Silence settled again.

There was a _'zzzzzzzzupt'_ as Naruto zipped his pants up, walking out from behind the tree. When his teammates asked why he wasn't checking the ninja he'd pummeled for a scroll, he quickly explained that the ninja wouldn't be stupid enough to carry his team's scroll if he was going out alone. Sasuke nodded, agreeing with that assessment.

"Right then," Naruto rubbed his hands together eagerly, smiling at his team. "We need a password."

"Like what?" Sakura asked, almost arching an eyebrow.

"It has to be something unexpected," Sasuke said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "something only we would know."

"I know," Naruto said, grinning evilly, "what's the name of Kakashi's girlfriend?"

"Oho, nice," Sasuke smirked. "Positively evil."

"So we all agree?" Naruto asked. The other two nodded, "Right, 'Rin' is the word…"

He was cut off as a gust of gale force wind swept the clearing, picking the teammates up and throwing them to random places. Sasuke and Sakura managed to stick together, landing only a few feet from the clearing they had been standing in, but Naruto, who was not so lucky, was flung into the foliage and out of sight.

Sasuke and Sakura pulled themselves from the bushes they had landed in and moved to the center of the clearing, waiting for whatever had initiated the attack to appear.

"Ow," Naruto stumbled out from behind the trees, scratches on his face. "You guys okay?"

"Wait," Sasuke demanded, holding out a kunai. "First, the password. Who is Kakashi-sensei's girlfriend?"

Naruto grinned, "Rin."

"Good," Sasuke smirked, "But who did you and I battle during our S-ranked mission?"

Naruto stopped cold, unable to answer the question. He dodged out of the way of Sasuke's kunai, which had come dangerously close to disemboweling him.

"Nice try, you imposter," Sasuke's smirk widened, "but Naruto would never forget the names of the men we fought during that mission."

The imposter smirked in a way that Naruto never would, his cover blown. It was a malevolent smirk that held none of the mischief that Naruto's 'evil' smirks held. The wretched smile that pulled at the imposter's lips was purely malicious, and held none of the friendly warmth that Naruto seemed to radiate. In a puff of smoke, the Naruto in front of them turned into a grass ninja with long black hair and large lips, a bamboo shade reminiscent of the ones belonging to Akatsuki placed on the person's head.

"Impressive that you knew," the imposter's voice was silky and smooth, an androgynous blend of male and female. It was slick, like a snake's hiss. "This will be more fun than I thought…"

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"**I thought you had it covered, kit,"** Kyubi's voice mocked.

"_Shut it, fuzzball,"_ Naruto told the demon, standing slowly. A presence invaded his senses, making him look up.

Naruto jumped out of the way as the large jaw of a monstrous snake crashed into the ground he'd just occupied. He hated fighting summoning creatures without summoning something himself, but figured that it couldn't be helped. Sandaime might know they were from the future, and he might know about Skeith, but until Skeith was documented as an actual summon, Naruto's use of his avatar would be suspicious.

Naruto landed on his feet lightly, disappearing with the use of Shunpo as the beast struck out again. He reappeared behind the beast as it reared back again, trying to find him. Reiryoku, his spirit energy, gathered within his sword. A swing of his blade gave birth to a crescent of white energy, which traveled towards the unnaturally sized snake.

The crescent of energy ripped into the snake, cutting clean through the tough thick scales and muscle, severing the beast's spine. Unfortunately for the serpent, it had been coiled up on the forest floor, and was chopped into several pieces, each of which bled profusely.

Sheathing his sword, Naruto quickly traced the signature of the paper tag he'd stuck in Sasuke's pocket, then disappeared from the messy clearing in a yellow flash.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

The grass ninja smirked at the two Genin in front of him, "You want my Earth scroll, correct? Because you have the Heaven scroll?"

His unnaturally long tongue slithered over his earth scroll, the smirk never leaving his lips. At an agonizing pace, he slowly stuck the scroll into his mouth, his tongue still curled around it. Sasuke and Sakura could only watch in disgust as the scroll slid down his throat, bulging inside of his esophagus. He swallowed slowly.

Grinning evilly, he stared them down, pulling down the bottom eyelid of his left eye with one of his fingers, "Now, let's begin the battle for each other's scrolls…with our lives on the line!"

Sakura and Sasuke felt their limbs freeze as the terror of death fell upon them, preventing them from moving an inch of their own will. Images of themselves being slaughtered assaulted their minds' eyes. His limbs shaking uncontrollably, Sasuke keeled over, regurgitating his lunch. _"Is this some sort of Genjutsu? No! He's not using an illusion, this is pure fear, created by his killing intent!"_

The grass-nin chuckled lightly, "Heh heh. You can no longer move."

"_No! I won't run away!" _Sasuke thought determinedly. _"In order to kill _that_ man…I _must_ survive!"_

With an almost lazy flick of his wrist, he flung two kunai at Sasuke and Sakura, very disappointed at the black haired boy's performance.

Using pain to vanquish the fear by stabbing himself with his own kunai, Sasuke picked up Sakura and dashed for cover, barely dodging the enemy's weapons. After putting some distance between himself and the psychopath, he stopped behind some trees, panting in exertion and to return the feeling of breathing back to his lungs.

Sakura sat beside him, searching for any disturbances in the forest. She soon caught sight of a snake hanging from the tree above them and quickly warned Sasuke via a tap on the shoulder. With a well-practiced jump, they flung themselves off the tree and into another, narrowly escaping the serpent's large jaws.

When it followed his movements, he flung as many kunai and shuriken into its body as he dared, watching as it fell against the tree, supposedly dead. With the immediate threat gone, Sasuke leaned back against the tree he was in, sighing in relief. It was over.

His breath caught when he heard a disturbing noise coming from the snake he had just killed. Almost afraid of what he would find, Sasuke turned his head back towards the colossal reptile, pleading with whatever deity that controlled his fate that luck would be on his side.

His eyes widened in horror as the grass-nin rose from the snake's corpse, staring at him, "You guys shouldn't relax for even a moment. Prey should always be trying to run away in the presence of a predator like me."

"Wh-what are you? St-stay away from me, you BASTARD!" Sasuke yelled, panicking.

After a hand seal, the serpentine ninja's neck lengthened impossibly, shooting towards Sasuke. Frozen from surprise and fear, Sasuke couldn't do anything as the ninja's jaw clamped down on the joint where his shoulder met his neck. There was a pause as a mark burned its way onto Sasuke's skin, a triple tomoe tattoo.

The grass ninja howled as a fist with his face as soon as he had released his teeth from the Uchiha's flesh. As soon as his neck had shrunk to its normal size, he looked up at who had hit him, and resisted the urge to snarl.

Naruto set Sasuke down gently, scowling as he saw the mark now burned onto Sasuke's neck. Three seals later, all the weight that had been pressing down on his form lifted, leaving him at his full speed. Grasping his sword, it was quickly pulled from its sheath.

In a blur, Naruto disappeared, reappearing behind the grass ninja. For a second, the enemy ninja seemed surprised, then he chuckled in a deeper voice, "Very good, Naruto-kun."

Naruto swung, but his sword was blocked by Orochimaru's kunai, which had intercepted his blade about halfway. Orochimaru chuckled, a smirk on his face as he tore off his disguise.

"If that's the way you want to play, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru said silkily, "then I'll gladly oblige."

A quick and disgusting display brought the Kusanagi from the Snake Sennin's throat, upon which he grabbed it and prepared for a sword battle, one he was confident he could win easily. After all, he was a member of the Sannin, and Naruto was a mere brat. It would be almost pitifully easy for him to defeat the Genin.

Jumping back, Naruto gathered some of his Reiryoku for but a second, then unleashed it in the only safe direction he could: towards Orochimaru, "_Getsuga Tenshô!"_

Orochimaru's eyes widened as an arc of white energy — energy that _almost_ felt like chakra — came rushing towards him, condensed but still very powerful. As quickly as he could, he moved out of the way and onto another branch.

Keeping an air of confidence, Orochimaru smirked, "My, my, Naruto-kun, that was quite impressive."

Naruto jumped into the air, sword poised for an overhead slash. He came down on top of Orochimaru, who dodged at the last second, and sliced downwards, making a seven foot long crack in the tree branch, "Sainan no Ken!" (Disaster Sword)

"My, my, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru said again, "you are quite the swordsman…but I have almost fifty years of experience on you."

"Experience doesn't matter," Naruto said, tapping into a large amount of Kyubi's chakra. A red aura surrounded him, and Naruto eyes turned crimson, Sharingan whirling, "if I'm stronger and faster than you are!"

Orochimaru had to bite his tongue to keep in the gasp that threatened to escape as Naruto vanished, reappearing behind him again. As fast as he could, Orochimaru spun around, blocking Naruto's attack with his Kusanagi. Taking the opportunity presented by a miniscule opening in Naruto's guard, Orochimaru landed the strongest roundhouse kick he could in Naruto's stomach, sending the young Genin a good distance away.

Putting Kusanagi back where it had been, Orochimaru took the pause in attacks to charge up a five-point seal. Naruto rushed forwards, forgoing the waste of energy that Shunpo had become. If Orochimaru could see him, Shunpo was almost useless.

As the blond bullet rushed forth, Orochimaru pushed forth with his right hand, believing the battle won, "Five Element Seal!"

At the last second, Naruto twisted his body, the Snake Sennin's seal missing his stomach by mere inches. Because of this, Naruto was unable to perform his attack and landed sloppily. With a flip, he was back on his feet, an angry scowl on his face as the demon's chakra receded.

"If that's how you're going to be, Orochimaru," Naruto said coldly, glaring at the Sound village leader. He stabbed his sword towards the heavens, a large amount of energy gathering in preparation of his next move. Clouds formed in the sky, "Ban…Kai!"

A bolt of blue lightning struck down, hitting Naruto and blinding others looking at him with a flash. When it was safe for Orochimaru to open his eyes, he had to stifle a gasp.

Translucent red goggles covered Naruto's Sharingan eyes, the strap disappearing into his spiky hair. The sword in Naruto's hand had transformed, now a regular-looking katana made of black steel. Diamond-shaped rubies were inlaid in the hilt, which was still wrapped in white. The hand guard was now spiral-shaped, with three thin spires. A ragged-looking black coat was fitted over his body, tight on his torso and forearms, but flaring out after it reached his waste. The inside was a bloody crimson, and the hem was ripped and rugged, hanging in strips near his ankles.

"Shinkû Shinkirô Zangetsu," Naruto's voice was calm and confident. "Shoki: Raijin."

Stumbling out of his stupor, Orochimaru bit his thumb, flashing through hand seals. He reached down to smear the blood on his summoning tattoo, but stopped cold as a metal point pressed up against his neck. Naruto's sword was poised to stab up through his chin and into his skull, the owner staring into his eyes impassively.

While Orochimaru stood, too surprised to move, Naruto brought his sword down over the traitorous ninja's unprotected torso, cutting a large wound in his chest. Orochimaru lashed out violently, swiping horizontally in an attempt to hit his enemy. Naruto was already gone.

A hand grasped Orochimaru's shoulder, turning him around to meet the stoic face of his opponent. A second slash brought another gash to Orochimaru's torso, this one deeper than the last. The Snake Sennin cried out in pain as a foreign emotion flooded through him. Fear.

Naruto jumped back a couple feet, allowing his enemy a small reprieve. He did so only because it gave him time and room for his next attack. Holding his sword upside down, so that the tip of the blade was pointing to his feet, he let the sword drop. It disappeared into the tree bark.

"Shinkû Shinkirô Zangetsu," Naruto said, gaining his enemy's attention, "Banki: Senkei."

Immediately, the forest disappeared, leaving only a black expanse. Columns of glowing red katana appeared, encircling Naruto and Orochimaru. Then, seven more Naruto fazed into existence, making eight Naruto in total. Each Naruto held a different weapon.

One Naruto held his regular katana, Zangetsu. Another held a nôdachi, and a third one held a wicked looking scythe with bone-like designs etched into the metal shaft. Naruto number four held a large broadsword, while number five held twin blades. Number six wielded a spear and number seven held a zanbatou. The last Naruto held a double-edged Chinese sword.

"Wh-what," Orochimaru asked. "_What _are you?!"

"I am the hope of Konoha," each of the Naruto said. "I am the light in the darkness, and the future Hokage! I am Kazama Naruto and I am…your _executioner_."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto watched as Orochimaru writhed on the ground, dropping to his knees as the illusion he was under took its toll. He wouldn't even be able to break the illusion the normal way. No, in order to break the illusion of Senkei, the victim had to destroy all of the 'illusionary' Naruto's and find the 'real' one, then hit the real one so hard that it forced all of the swords to 'heal' him. Only then would the illusion drop, leaving the Snake Sennin exhausted and unable to fight.

Normally, Naruto would probably finish Orochimaru off right then and there, but Orochimaru was necessary for things to go as they were supposed to. In order for Sand to ally itself with Konoha again, Orochimaru had to be found as the fake Kazekage. There were a few other things that Orochimaru's existence made happen that needed to happen, so he needed to be kept alive.

Turning away from the Snake Sennin, Naruto hopped a few branches, landing next to Sasuke. Gently, he picked up his fallen teammate and the stunned Sakura, then, throwing one last glance at Orochimaru, ran off. He wanted to put as much distance between himself and the bastard as possible, and he was taking Orochimaru's distraction with the illusion as his chance to do so.

Naruto's plans may not be working out the way he wanted them to, but they were quite close. The only wrench in them was Sasuke getting marked.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Hinata bit her lip as a large amount of Reiryoku gathered in the distance and clouds formed in the sky at an impossible speed. She recognized the symptoms of it quite easily, and she knew the only reason for Naruto using such an advanced ability was his fight with Orochimaru.

A Bankai was being used, as that was the only explanation for the clouds and the immense Reiryoku. In the back of her mind, she faintly registered Akamaru's whimpering, probably because of the large amount of energy being exerted.

Knowing that she'd never make it in time to help, Hinata let out a tiny sigh, hoping her worries were unfounded. Whispering softly, she said, "I hope you're alright, Naruto-kun."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Next time…

"_Huck, huck…I'm Gekkou Hayate."— Hayate_

"_So, you bastards want to fight, eh?" — Naruto_

"_Just hand over Sasuke, and we'll leave you be."— Dosu_

"_Don't worry about this guy, Dosu! He's weak!"— Zaku_

"_If you're going to be a kunoichi, act like one! Tch! You give people like me a bad name!" — Kin_

"_This power…I feel great! This is no curse, it's a gift!" — Sasuke_

"_**You're going to have to take care of that Kabuto kid early, this time. We can't have him helping Orochimaru." **__— Kyubi_

"_The preliminaries have ended. Now, the question is…who should I train with?" — Naruto_

"_Hump! Pitiful!" — Unknown_

"_I'm…not fighting Neji-niisan?" — Hinata_

"_An invasion, eh? I'll have to make sure to be very careful about this one. One wrong move could kill my beloved Konoha."—Sandaime_

_Naruto's Bankai has been revealed, but its full ferocity has yet to be unleashed. What's its true from like? Was his battle with Orochimaru just lucky? Now, the preliminary round of the Chuunin Selection Exams third test has begun, but there's something different about it this time around that will stun Naruto and Hinata to their very cores. Hinata's not fighting Neji? Then who is she going to have to battle?_

_Now that Naruto knows just about everything there is to learn from Jiraiya, who is going to teach him during the one month training period? Ichigo will help him a little bit, and so will Rukia, but they'll mostly be working with Hinata, helping her get to Naruto's level of power. So who will train Naruto?_

_Next time, "Future Unpredictable." _

— **o.0.O.O.0.o —  
A/N Alright. Chapter Five is up. Everything is running smoothly. I've got sixteen bucks to spend and a Starbucks**™ **coffee in my hand…let's ride.**

**Sorry this took so long to get out, but I had a distinct lack of inspiration…and reviews! Seriously, an average of three to five thousand people, at least, read each chapter, and only forty or so leave reviews! There were ninety-three thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine hits for Volume 1, and only 495 reviews! Come on, people, and throw me a bone! Review! It makes me update faster if I know you like what you're reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, (Dot) Hack, or Bleach**

**I don't know if I'll ever be using Rurouni Kenshin ever again, but I put it in there just in case. So, those of you who are disappointed about that…sorry.**

**Right. For all you Bleach fans, my friend, CeriaHalcyon, has written an Ichigo/Rukia story called "Return of the Moonfang". The first few chapters are short, and might not seem all that great, but the best has been laid out and is on its way. Pay his story a visit, cause I'm sure you'll all get really attached to it.**

**For those of you out there who are interested and have made guesses about where I hail from, don't let the lingo sway your judgement. I talk in a mix of all sorts of nationalities, slang, accents, etc. You'd have to be psychic to know where I live. Just thought I'd point that out, because I hate misconceptions.**

**The release of Chapter Six…err, I'm not sure about when that'll be. I need the inspiration to write it first. And reviews.**

**Bankai:**  
_Tensa Zangetsu — Heavenly Chains Cutting the Moon_ —Kurosaki Ichigo's Bankai. His sword transforms into a black nodachi with a strange hilt guard and a small black chain hanging from the bottom of the hilt. Ichigo gains a form fitting coat that flares out around the waist in an almost trench coat like fashion. The hem of this is ragged. Ichigo's speed increases drastically, even beyond Shunpo.

_Shinkû Shinkirô Zangetsu_ — _Empty Mirage Slicing the Moon_ — _Shoki: Raijin_ — _Initial Stage: God of Lightning_ — In Stage One, Naruto gains a cloak nearly identical to the one Ichigo has and his speed increases to the point that it rivals the speed Ichigo can use during his own Bankai. He even leaves an afterimage. The hand guard of his sword also morphs into a spiral with three thin spires.The hilt itself is inlaid with diamond shaped rubies. Red tinted goggles with a red frame cover Naruto's eyes, relaying tactical information directly to his Sharingan.

— _Banki: Senkei —_ _Final Stage: Scene of a Massacre_ — Thousands of glowing red Katana form a prison around Naruto and his opponent, trapping them till Naruto says so. Seven other Naruto appear, trapping the target further, each Naruto carrying a different weapon. These seven Naruto are merely illusions, but they can cause _real_ damage until the target has discovered the real Naruto (Note: Kage Bunshin is also a feasible method of achieving this). Even if the enemy injures Naruto, one or more of the swords forming the prison will disappear, sacrificing itself/themselves to heal the wound, the number depending upon the seriousness of the wound. If it is a one-hit or instantaneous kill, all the swords will be sacrificed to keep Naruto alive.

— _Hijutsu: Shinkirô — Secret Skill: Mirage —_ The most astonishing power of Naruto's Bankai is its ability to make the opponent think they are being subjected to the powers of Shinkû Shinkirô Zangetsu when, in actuality, it is nothing more than a seamlessly crafted illusion. When this skill is used, the opponent escapes the illusion feeling drained and weak, but Naruto is still relatively fresh and capable of using his Bankai's more…tangible powers.

**Bakudō**:  
Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudō Number Nine: Geki! (Path of Binding: Hit)

**Hadō**:  
Hadō Number Four: Byakurai (Path of Destruction: White Lightning)

_**Yes…Consume all happiness and sadness and use it as your stepping stone…**_

**James Daniel Fawkes**

_James Daniel Fawkes_**(Signature best viewed in **_**Wendy Medium**_** font style)**


	6. Future Unpredictable

_From the day we arrive on the planet,  
and, blinking, step into the sun,  
There's more to see,  
than can ever be seen,  
more to do, than can ever be done._

_There's far too much to take in here,  
more to find than can ever be found.  
But the sun rolling high, in the sapphire sky,  
keeps great and small on the endless round.  
It's the Circle of Life._

_And it moves us all.  
Through despair, and hope.  
Through faith and love.  
'Til we find our place,  
on the path unwinding,  
in the Circle.  
The Circle of Life._

_**The Circle of Life**__ (Who wrote/sung it? Hell if I know. It wasn't me, that's for sure, and I don't own it.)_

Miyamoto Tenchu landed on a tree branch, a self-satisfied smirk creeping onto his lips. This was the "Forest of Death"? In his opinion, it was pitiful compared to Hueco Mundo, the previous hideout for the traitor, Aizen Sousuke. Mutant beasts were nothing compared to Arrancar and Vastolords, the titans of the hollow world.

If he had a pound of gold for all the times that he and his comrades had come close to biting the dust during the days of the Arrancar-Shinigami war, he'd be able to build a golden castle. Hueco Mundo had been dangerous during those days, days that he hoped no one ever had to experience ever again.

Of course, if it hadn't been for his performance during the war, he'd never have been promoted to Captain of the Third Division. Kurosaki Ichigo was a similar case. If Ichigo hadn't married Rukia during that time, and thus been given the incentive to master his Vizard abilities, he'd never have been promoted to Fifth Division Captain, nor would he have founded the noble 'Kurosaki Clan'. Tenchu allowed himself a minute to wonder about Kurosaki's kids. Had they graduated the Shinigami Academy yet? He wasn't sure.

Reigning his mind back onto his task, he stepped forward, towards the immobile figure sharing his tree branch.

Orochimaru sat on his haunches, face turned skyward, eyes and mouth opened wide in terror. He was catatonic, if Tenchu remembered the things Unohana-taichou had taught him about psychology correctly. It might be a painless death since he was in that state, but Tenchu wasn't sure. He was pretty sure that being sent to Hell wasn't comfy, but he'd never experienced it before (thankfully).

Slowly, meaningfully, Tenchu drew his sword, raising it high above his head. With a stoic frown, he brought his weapon down, slicing Orochimaru's head from his shoulders. His frown deepened into a scowl as the man in front of him melted into mud, something he was sure wasn't supposed to happen.

"_So,"_ Tenchu mused, contemplative, _"Orochimaru managed to escape, eh?"_

**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce  
By: **James D. Fawkes

**Chapter Six: Future Unpredictable  
— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

Naruto watched from the shadows, waiting for his moment to come. Sakura needed to grow up, and this event he was watching was exactly what had made her mature during the initial timeline (or so he'd heard). Should he interfere too early, it would be pointless. Sakura needed to find her own strength.

Lee had tried to defend her, much like Lee was wont to do, but his pure Taijutsu had no remarkable effect on the Sound ninja. Because the Oto-nin were capable of Ninjutsu, they held a certain advantage over Lee, especially since the enemy Genin's attacks were invisible.

Naruto smirked. Of course, his own Kenjutsu wouldn't be very effective against Zaku and Dosu. The Hiten Mitsurugi style was normally used on people whose Jutsu could be seen and tracked. Sound and air waves were neither, therefore, Hiten Mitsurugi was ineffective and useless. But…the Kidô and other skills he'd learned from Ichigo and Rukia would be most efficient.

Naruto's face twisted into a frown. He had to wonder at the two Shinigami. He'd fought using his Bankai against the orange-haired man, but it had all proven pointless. Ichigo hadn't gone farther than Shikai, and yet still won with apparent ease. It frustrated Naruto.

He was from the future, with a fountain of extra chakra and Reiryoku. His mere Reiatsu had nearly suffocated Kankuro and Temari to death, and his Bankai had managed to defeat Orochimaru. He was capable of so many things that should make him damn near invincible, and yet, Ichigo was still stronger than him.

It bothered him. He was supposed to be the best of the best, capable of skills that would make most people's heads spin, capable of defeating the Sannin. He was nearly immortal, too, thanks to his spirit form. All he'd have to do is ask for a Gigai, an artificial body, if his was ever destroyed. Hinata was in a similar boat. Practically the only thing that could rid the world of him was another Shinigami.

That was what bothered him. Despite the fact that only another Shinigami would be able to kill him, there shouldn't _be_ a Shinigami strong enough to bring him down. He was supposed to be the strongest, the best, and the greatest of all creatures. He was, essentially, supposed to be a God amongst men.

Sure, that power came with plenty of risks, but that's how it was supposed to be. The majority of his chakra was locked up in the seal on his arm, lest it force his body to explode into little tiny pieces. That was how things were. It was like the Celestial Gates. If he unleashed to full extent of his power, he'd be invincible for all of about ten minutes before he was destroyed from the inside out. Lee might be the only _living_ person with the ability to match him, but only if the other boy unlocked all eight gates.

If he unleashed all of his power, would he be able to defeat Ichigo? Or would he be tossed aside like a rag doll? Was the orange-haired man so strong that he was unbeatable? Had that man ever used all of his power?

Naruto stood quietly. The question of the bounds of Ichigo's strength could be asked later, when he next sparred with the freight train of power. For now, he had something he needed to do. He may not be all that fond of Sakura, but she was a fellow ninja. Going against Kakashi's phrase was sacrilege, at least in Naruto's mind.

Face screwed up in a serious scowl, Naruto drew his black blade, focused entirely on the rush of power he felt as Zangetsu aided him. Among the Shinigami, he might not be all that special, but here, among fellow ninja, he was in his element. A few petty Sound Genin wouldn't impede his path to saving the future. Of that, he would make sure.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Sakura sat in front of Sasuke, bruised and exhausted. Her enemies were a good distance away, and one of them, the girl, Kin, was unconscious. There was a horrible sinking feeling in her gut that she was going to die, that she wouldn't make it home. But at least she'd die protecting her most precious person. At least she'd die protecting her Sasuke-kun. That was what mattered.

"Come on, girly," Zaku said, his spiky hair as untouched as it had been since the beginning. He was uninjured. "It doesn't have to be this hard."

"Just hand over Sasuke-kun," Dosu said, his single eye focused on the Hyuga girl. "And we'll let you go. No harm, no foul."

Lee could only stare at her awkwardly, his eyes half-lidded and his body motionless. The Dosu-Zaku tag team had defeated him, his ears bleeding and his balance destroyed. He was useless now. All he could do was watch as his crush, his precious Sakura-chan, was mercilessly slaughtered. Where was Naruto at a time like this, he wondered.

"N-never!" Sakura hissed defiantly, glaring at them. "I'll protect Sasuke-kun, even if it costs me my life!"

"Oh well," Dosu grinned beneath his bandages, rushing towards the defenseless girl. He had no qualms about killing such a weak shinobi. "Time to end this!"

"Some minor sound-nins bullying these second rate ninjas. I'm afraid I can't allow that." A voice said from up in the trees. It was noble and proper, the voice of a ninja from a famous clan.

Dosu stopped and turned his attention to the owner of the voice, a longhaired Genin wearing some sort of gray jacket and black shorts. His eyes were milky white and empty, devoid of emotion as they glared at them hatefully. Dosu snarled, "More of them! They're like cockroaches!"

"You made a mistake," he said, ignoring the sound-nin's words as he gestured towards Lee, "That knocked out freak is from my team and you're going to pay for that."

Dosu resisted the urge to snort. He was going to pay? Not likely.

"If you're going to go any further…" the veins around his eyes bulged, "…then I'm going all out."

Something flickered on the Neji's Byakugan enhanced vision even before he had a chance to move, _"Huh? This chakra!"_

"If you don't like it so much," Dosu taunted, "Then stop acting cool and get down here! We'll give your noble ass a thrashing!"

"No…" Neji said slowly, the future battle running itself before his eyes. It was something he'd learned to do after watching his uncle teach his daughters. He'd gauge the combatants chakra levels and skill, then try to imagine how the fight would play out. He was very good at it. "It seems that won't be necessary."

A dark chuckle forced Dosu's gaze around towards a tree over on his left, from which the evil sound originated. Dosu's eyes widened as he caught sight of the owner, because he'd never sensed anyone coming towards them. Even now, the only reason he knew the person was there was because he could see him.

A figure sat up in the tree, reclined there like he owned the whole forest. The figure's black attire was very much like what a Shinobi should wear, and seemed to absorb the sunlight streaming through the forest canopy. A sharp sword sat in the figure's lap, its black blade carrying a menacing sheen to it. Spiky blonde hair flew all over the ninja's head, untamed and wild. An amused smirk, very vulpine in nature, fit his lips.

As soon as he'd caught sight of the figure, an amazing pressure settled down on Dosu, as if gravity had suddenly increased twenty-fold. Air just wouldn't force its way into Dosu's lungs, and it felt as if a sword was pressed dangerously hard on his neck, threatening to stab his throat. He found it hard to stand, and could barely keep his knees from buckling under this unique power that not even Orochimaru could match. Dosu looked over at his comrade. Zaku didn't seem to be fairing any better.

Naruto locked eyes with the sound ninja, Zaku, the vulpine smirk still on his face. His blue orbs held nothing but impatience, as if he was looking at a bug that needed to be squashed, "I've no patience to teach a fool like you how to breathe."

In the span of a blink, Naruto had disappeared from his perch, only to reappear in front of Zaku, his left index finger pressed to the immobile boy's right shoulder. Without pause or hesitation, chakra gathered and words were spoken, "Hadô Yonban: Byakurai." (Path of Destruction Number Four: White Lightning)

A large bolt of white energy reminiscent of lightning tore through Zaku's shoulder, pulling a scream from his lips as pain shot through his body. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the energy disappeared, leaving a smoking hole in Zaku's body. Naruto nearly winced as the boy fell to the ground. He had no doubt that hurt quite a lot, considering what it did to the trees behind them.

Dosu took a shuddering breath as realization set in. He and his team were no match for this boy, regardless of what they might want to believe about their own skills. The Hyuga he might stand a chance against, but this blonde-haired monster was so far out of their league, it wasn't even funny. He could have just as easily pointed that finger at Zaku's head and blown the sound ninja's brain to tiny bits, but he had mercy. That meant that he, Dosu, just might make it out of this alive.

Dosu froze as that frigid gaze locked on him, the smirk gone as a serious scowl took its place, "Drop your scroll, take your friends, and leave."

Startled, Dosu realized that the pressure had disappeared and he could move again, though the fear was still coursing through his veins. Not trusting his voice, Dosu nodded and slowly moved, setting the scroll down gently. At a similar pace, he picked up his teammates, handling them as though they were fragile glass. With one last glance back, Dosu disappeared into the foliage, hoping he'd never have to see that blonde demon again in his life.

Naruto watched them leave, then picked up the scroll that had been left behind. Absentmindedly putting it in his kunai pouch with the other scroll, he headed over towards his teammates, several different sealing methods running through his mind. How was he going to seal up that curse mark?

Finally settling on the most effective method he knew, Naruto walked determinedly over to Sasuke. He didn't like the risks this sealing method had, because the curse mark could still leak out, but it had the best chance of success. Were he the Yondaime, he might know a few more effective seals, or maybe even make one up on the spot, but he wasn't. Jiraiya had died, along with the rest of Konoha, before he'd been able to learn all the seals he could from the perverted sage.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Sasuke stared at his surroundings, almost refusing to believe that what he saw was real. Before, he had been in the Forest of Death, marked by Orochimaru's curse. He didn't know what had happened after that, but somehow, he had been transported to his current location…wherever the hell that was.

Beautiful cherry blossom trees surrounded him, a clear-cut path leading to somewhere directly in front of him. The petals fell, swirling around his body in a breeze that lifted his bangs gently, but none of the trees seemed to lose any blossoms, despite the pink petals that fell and surrounded his form.

The sun shown brightly overhead, and the grass was a luscious green, stretching on endlessly. Deciding to discover his location, Sasuke stepped forwards, following the path dutifully.

He walked and walked, for what seemed like hours, down the path, which held no twists and turns like one might expect. It was a straight path, one that went on forever and ever, and its entire purpose seemed to be the annoyance of one Uchiha Sasuke. The perfectly kept path didn't seem to have an end, and Sasuke was beginning to tire, despite his super-human ninja endurance.

Finally, the path opened into a clearing, the perpetually falling Sakura petals still swirling delicately in the wind.

Sasuke's eyes widened. Standing directly in front of him, her back turned and a bamboo parasol hiding her head, was a very voluptuous woman wearing an emerald green Kimono. A crimson obi was tied around her midsection in a butterfly bow. Small pink cherry blossoms fell from the tree design stitched on the back, immortalized by the silk.

She turned slowly, and Sasuke's eyes, though he would vehemently deny it, were immediately attracted to her large chest. Were it not for the amused giggle that escaped her throat, his attention would have stayed firmly glued to her breasts. He looked up and his breath hitched in his throat as he met her eyes.

Her elegant face held two dazzling red eyes, and her porcelain countenance possessed no make up. Pinkish red hair strands fell delicately about her cheeks and forehead, the majority of it tied into a bun at the back of her head. An aristocratic nose filled the space between her eyes, and a coy smile spread across her luscious pinkish lips.

"Wh-who," Sasuke stuttered, surprised. He'd never seen a woman so beautiful. "Who are you?"

She giggled again, apparently amused by his shy attitude. Her chest jiggled a little as she laughed, but her words spared Sasuke from another embarrassing round of staring, "I am Sakuhime, and this is your inner world."

"Inner world?" Sasuke echoed quietly. He had no idea what she was talking about. What was an inner world? Why was he here? What was she doing in his inner world, this woman who looked so much like the Haruno Sakura he knew?

"Yes," she said, "Inner world. It is a place that few have access to, and even fewer know exist. Certain Shinobi possess an ability. This ability manifests itself when a Shinobi spends a certain amount of time with someone possessing a lot of Spirit Energy, or Reiryoku. This ability will appear over time, often unconsciously. This ability will usually manifest itself as a sword that possesses a sentient soul."

She looked into his eyes, smiling, "Your friend, Naruto, is the cause for this ability. His high Reiryoku has created me, all you need to do is discover my name and call on me when I am needed."

"But," Sasuke began, confused, "you already told me your name, Sakuhime."

Sakuhime smiled broadly, "Then you need only call on me when I am needed."

She walked forward, bent over and embraced him gently, like a mother who was proud of her child. Sasuke's slightly perverted side wished she would hug him more tightly, pulling his face into her large bosom, but it was not to be.

If Sakuhime was privy to his thoughts, she took no notice of them. She just hugged him, whispering into his ear, "But right now, you need to wake up, Sasuke-kun."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto rolled his left shoulder, rearranging Sasuke on his back. The other boy's chin rested on Naruto's right shoulder, the Uchiha heir's eyes closed. Had Naruto not sealed up the Curse Mark, Sasuke would either be awake or sleeping fitfully. Naruto shifted Sasuke's position again. The boy didn't look it, but he was heavy. Maybe he was wearing weights. That would explain the extra pull of gravity.

A groan from Sasuke brought Naruto's attention to the other boy's face. With a grin, Naruto watched Sasuke's eyes slowly creep open, "Hey, Sleeping Beauty! Good morning!"

Sasuke let out another groan, raising half-lidded eyes to gaze at the sky. In a mumble, he said, "Looks more like afternoon to me."

Naruto grinned foxily, "Yup. I'd say it's around three or four o'clock, but I never was all that great at telling time based on the sun's position in the sky."

"Let me down, Naruto," Sasuke demanded flatly, his voice possessing a 'no argument' tone.

Stopping his steady pace, Naruto shrugged and dropped Sasuke flat on his ass, earning an "Ouch!" from the Uchiha.

Rubbing the offended body part, Sasuke stood shakily, feeling rather weak for some odd reason. He shot Naruto a short glare, seeing Sakura resisting the urge to giggle out of the corner of his eye. With a sigh, he rolled his shoulders back until he heard a few satisfying cracks, "Where are we?"

Sasuke followed the direction Naruto pointed in as the blonde answered his question, "We're about an hour or two away from the tower at our pace."

Sasuke seemed confused, "Wait, what about—?"

"Naruto beat up a few Sound Ninja while you were asleep, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, throwing him a smile. "He beat them up and we got their scroll."

"Nonsense!" Naruto said in a friendly tone as they started walking again. "Sakura beat up one of them and I beat up one of them. The last guy decided to drop his earth scroll and run like a scared dog." Naruto grinned, "I think he wet himself, too."

Sakura gave Naruto a thankful smile when Sasuke wasn't looking, "Right, Naruto. Anyway, Sasuke-kun, we've got both scrolls now and we're on our way to the tower."

After a couple seconds' pause, Sasuke asked the question that had been plaguing his mind, "So what happened to that grass ninja? Did you kill him?"

Naruto shrugged indifferently, resisting the urge scowl, "Last I saw him, he was sitting on a tree branch with a look of horror on his face. My illusion was what did it. Who knows? Maybe he got eaten by some huge animal or something."

"_That's a lie," _Naruto thought bitterly. _"Orochimaru survived my illusion, and he most likely escaped the Forest to plot the downfall of this village."_

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

The Hokage looked over the assembled Genin, resisting the overwhelming compulsion to smile when he saw Naruto and Hinata among them. Twenty-one had made it, the majority of them from his own village. Nine of them were rookies, and another three were a team that was only about a year old, having graduated the year previous. It did his heart good to see such strength and courage in ones so young.

In the front of the room stood a group consisting of Chuunin, Jounin, and the Hokage. Protruding from the front wall was a pair of stone hands forming the seal for "Ram".

Anko smirked at them from where she stood, "Congratulations on passing! Hokage-sama will now explain the third test, so listen carefully!"

The Sandaime took a step forward, "Before we begin, there is something I'd like you to know."

He tugged his hat down slightly, "Why do we have all the alliance countries taking this exam together? 'To promote friendship amongst the countries' 'To raise the level of Shinobi'… I don't want you to be confused about the true meaning. This exam is a replacement for war among the allied countries."

Sandaime's face was impassive as he took a puff on his pipe, "If you go back in time, the current allies were enemies who fought each other over who would rule. In order to prevent wasteful fighting, the stage that those countries chose for fighting…That is the origin of the Chuunin Exams."

Sarutobi continued, undaunted by the questions thrown at him, "It is true that this exam decides who is to become Chuunin, but it is also an opportunity for the different countries to show off there ninja to the important figures who watch this third exam. A Shinobi village is only as strong as its weakest link.

"Now then," he paused for a second, "On to the third exam…"

"Actually…" A sick looking Jounin appeared in front of the Hokage, "As referee…Hokage-sama, if I may…?"

Sandaime nodded, a small smile on his face, "By all means…"

The Jounin turned toward the Genin, revealing his weary face and the dark bags under his eyes, "I am Gekkou Hayate, and I am the referee. Before the third test, I'm afraid we'll have to hold a preliminary. Since we are going to begin right away, I must ask any who wish to quit to do so now."

Kabuto raised his hand, "I wish to quit."

Questioning stares followed his retreating back as he left, sparing a short, unnoticeable glance at Naruto and Sasuke.

Hayate looked around, "Right then, (cough, cough) if no one else wishes to forfeit, let's begin the preliminary rounds. If you'll turn your attention to the screen behind me…"

Everyone turned his or her gazes to the large screen behind the sickly Jounin, watching as the blackness faded into a dark gray. The letters 'vs.' lit up in the very center. Above them was the name "Uchiha Sasuke" and below it was "Akado Yoroi".

"Now," Hayate said, "If these two participants would come to the front…"

Sasuke grinned as he and Yoroi moved towards the examiner, each confident of their own ability. Gekkou Hayate made a motion towards the stands, "Now if everyone else would please leave the arena."

When everyone had left the area for the stands, he said, "Please begin."

Yoroi made a hand seal, "Are you ready, Sasuke-kun?"

He slipped his left hand into his kunai pouch, his right hovering in front of his stomach. He withdrew a few shuriken, while, simultaneously, Sasuke withdrew a Kunai from the holster on his thigh. Without warning, Yoroi flung his shuriken at Sasuke, who knocked them away with a swipe of his kunai.

A flash of the unexplained weakness from before brought Sasuke to the ground, kunai still in hand. Yoroi took the opportunity to try and attack Sasuke, trying to bring his hand down on Sasuke's head. Sasuke rolled and dodged, watching the other Genin's hand sink into the tile floor. Plunging his kunai into ground as a brake, Sasuke spun around and brought Yoroi's legs from under him, pulling the older Genin into a painful looking arm lock.

Yoroi's hand grabbed Sasuke's shirt firmly, and, suddenly, Sasuke felt himself growing weaker. Too weak to prevent it, Sasuke could only watch as Yoroi twisted himself free of Sasuke's grip and brought his hand down on the Uchiha's chest. Hard.

Jumping up, Yoroi spun around and latched that same hand on Sasuke's head, sapping the younger boy's strength.

"You're…stealing…my chakra," Sasuke gasped weakly.

Yoroi chuckled darkly, an evil grin hidden beneath the cloth on his face, "So you finally noticed."

With a sudden surge of strength, Sasuke kicked him off, standing up as fast as he could. A scowl lit up his face as he tried to reason out the cause of the unexplained weakness, but no answer would come. Was it the Curse Mark? But wouldn't he feel something from it if that was what was bothering him?

"_You need only call on me when I am needed,"_ the words flashed through Sasuke's mind, bringing a look of realization to his face. Standing straight, Sasuke gripped his kunai tightly as he closed his eyes and reached within the depths of his soul, searching for his new companion.

The world disappeared around him as he called out desperately, _"I need your help, Sakuhime! Please! I need your help!"_

"_Then call for me,"_ her voice responded, firm but soft. _"Hold me forward and call out my name!" _

Sasuke's eyes flashed open and his thrust his right hand out, an elegant katana replacing the kunai that had been in his grasp. Without a thought to the consequences, without hesitation, he did as he had been told, "Chire…Sakuhime!" (Scatter, Blossom Princess)

The moment the words left his mouth, the elegant Katana in his palm shattered into tiny pieces, each one looking like a cherry blossom. They fluttered elegantly, as if waiting for some unseen command.

"_Command me,"_ came Sakuhime's voice. At her words, information on his new weapon flooded his brain. _"Command me, Sasuke-kun!"_

Jutting his hand forth, Sasuke exerted his will on the small blades that had once been his sword. In a blur of movement, the thousands of cherry blossoms that had seemed to be created from his command shot forth, easily cutting into the stunned Yoroi.

Still a caught in the moment, Sasuke pulled his hand back and commanded the petals to form his sword again. In another blur, the blossoms congregated in his right palm, forming together to from his katana once more.

As the adrenaline rush he'd gotten from the power he'd felt disappeared, Sasuke looked down at his new weapon and became entranced by its beauty.

The cloth wrapped around the hilt was a brilliant pink, on that lived up to its name. A bronze cap was at the bottom of the hilt, a crimson tassel hanging from it. The hand guard was circular, with a spindle design to it. It too was a shiny bronze. The blade, a magnificent, polished silver, appeared to be made of stainless steel, though Sasuke knew it wasn't. This sword was forged of his own energy, and was undoubtedly strong as a result.

Hayate didn't even bother to check to see if the Akado boy was unconscious. He called for a medic team as the Uchiha walked up into the stands and the board announced the next fight.

Shino quickly defeated Zaku, whose severely injured shoulder, which Naruto had used a Kido on, left him at an extreme disadvantage. In under a minute, he had lost to Shino's swarm of chakra eating insects.

The next match ended nearly as quickly. Kankuro took down Tsurugi Misumi with apparent ease. His mastery of puppetry had tricked the other boy into using his trump card on the lifeless puppet. It was child's play after that.

Ino and Sakura's match ended in an anticlimactic draw. They were too evenly matched to take the other down, so they finished with a double knock out.

The screen lit up for the fifth time, reading "**Hyuga Hinata vs. Tenten**".

Naruto watched, with Sharingan eyes, from the stands. He had yet to see all of Benihime's abilities, and Hinata was very fast, so he wanted to see everything.

Not one to talk to her opponents, Tenten quickly pulled out a scroll and unleashed a barrage of kunai and other throwing weapons. Many of them, because they had been tossed so quickly and almost carelessly, impacted with the floor, kicking up dust and dirt, but Tenten was confident that many had also impacted.

Hinata watched, in almost slow motion, as the weapons flew at her in what seemed to be a solid wall. She'd have some time dodging all of them, and there were two ways to defend against them. She decided on the first one, the one that took less energy, rather than option two, which was the Kaiten.

Hinata threw her sword out, the flat of the blade presented to the oncoming assault. In a firm tone that some might have mistaken for desperate, she shouted, "Nake, Benihime!" (Cry, Crimson Princess)

Tenten's smirk dropped and her mouth fell open as the dust cleared, revealing a translucent red barrier shaped in a way reminiscent of a rectangular hexagon. The barrier, not more than six feet wide and twelve feet tall, protected Hinata from anything in front of her. All of the weapons that had been flung her way had simply disappeared after making contact with it.

As the barrier vanished so did Hinata, and Tenten was only barely aware of it, until a voice spoke from behind her, "That was Benihime's Chikiri Tate (Blood Mist Shield). Nothing, not even Naruto-kun's Getsuga Tenshô, can break through it."

Naruto smiled, closing his eyes. He understood now, _"So that's how it's done. Think you can mimic it, Zangetsu?"_

Naruto felt rather than saw Zangetsu's astral form nod. He smirked lightly. He'd apologize to Hinata later for copying her technique, but it would prove very useful against enemies, especially if he needed to step back and prepare for Bankai.

Naruto turned around and sat down, leaning against the bars of the railing. Kakashi took notice, "Naruto, I thought you of all people would want to watch Hinata's fight."

"Don't need to," Naruto said, shrugging. "She's using Shunpo now, it'll be over in a matter of seconds."

Kakashi was about to respond, but a proclamation of "Winner: Hyuga Hinata!" prevented him from doing so. When he cast a questioning glance at Sasuke, the Uchiha told him that Tenten had been knocked out by a rough blow to the head and would be fine.

"**Nara Shikamaru vs. Kin Tsuchi"**

Their match didn't last very long either. Kin had had Shikamaru caught in her trap for a few moments, but Shikamaru had come back and out done her. Using his Kagemane no Jutsu, he forced her to hit her head against the wall. She knocked herself unconscious and Shikamaru was declared the winner.

After Kin was carried away on a stretcher, the screen flashed again, revealing the combatants of the next fight, **"Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba"**

"Ha! We got lucky, Akamaru!" Kiba gloated, jumping down into the arena. Akamaru, his dog, gave a hesitant bark of agreement.

Naruto leapt off of the railing, his right cheek still wet from Hinata's "Good Luck" kiss. He knew he wouldn't lose, after all the things he had learned and all the power he had gathered for himself, he'd be unable to lose.

"Heh," Kiba clenched his fist. "I feel bad for you, so I'll end this in one punch!"

Naruto smirked as he built up his Reiryoku, preparing to unleash it in a blaze of reiatsu, "You'll have to actually hit me before you can end it."

"Begin!"

Before Kiba could move, a wave of pressure settled over the entire arena, stands and all. No one, save Hinata and the Jounin sensei, could move a muscle, and several were having breathing trouble.

Shino's brow crinkled in concern. His bugs were worried, screaming at him about the strength being exerted by the blonde shinobi. It seemed that his predictions back in the Land of Waves had proven correct. Kiba, the fool, had challenged Naruto and his ability, and Kiba was about to receive a beating that he would definitely remember.

Kakashi's eye narrowed, his fingers twitching. If worst came to worst, he'd have to stop Naruto from killing Kiba, and he'd probably need his Sharingan to do it. Kurenai was probably trying to get over her shock, obviously not understanding the extent of Naruto's ability. He didn't know what Asuma thought, but Gai would probably start screaming about Naruto's "Passionate Flames of Youth! Yoshi!" when it was all over.

Naruto, sword still sheathed, brought a hand up, palm facing Kiba. Kakashi's eye narrowed further when the pressure in the stands disappeared.

"Ruler," Naruto began, focusing Reiryoku to his palm, "Mask of blood and flesh, all things of the universe fly, that which names all. Gathering of heat and war, beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south. Hadô Sanjuuichi: Shakkahô!" (Path of Destruction Thirty-one: Red Flame Cannon)

A ball of red energy flew from Naruto's hand as the pressure disappeared completely, impacting with Kiba. Dust and smoke blocked view of the Inuzuka boy's fate, but very few thought that Kiba would have survived that.

Kiba burst through the smoke, looking more beastly than before. His jacked hung in tatters on his torso, jerking around crazily as the Genin dashed like a man possessed towards the unmoving blonde.

Naruto simply turned to the side, watching as Kiba rushed past him and nearly collided with the wall. A vulpine grin lit up his face, "Come on, Kiba. Don't tell me _that_ was your best shot!"

Kiba dashed forwards again, intent on ripping Naruto to pieces. He stopped, eyes wide and mouth open as Naruto vanished and reappeared with his fist planted firmly in the dog boy's stomach.

Pulling his fist back, Naruto watched as Kiba hunched over, grasping at his stomach. Taking advantage of his opponent's distracted state, Naruto sent a swift hit to the back of Kiba's head, rendering him unconscious. He'd never stood a chance.

As the referee announced Naruto's victory, medics arrived to take Kiba away for treatment and the blonde shinobi headed back up to the stands.

"**Temari vs. Hyuga Neji"**

For most of the battle, both combatants seemed evenly matched. Temari's long range fighting style kept Neji from getting close for quite a while, but when he finally got around her wind Jutsu, she fell more easily than she would have ever predicted. What seemed like a one-sided fight had ended in a surprise.

The ninth match was "**Gaara vs. Rock Lee**".

Lee put up a good fight, and was able to land a few good hits on Gaara. But Gaara was just too strong. In the end, Lee had shown that he could open the "Celestial Gates" and the power they held (which wasn't a surprise for Naruto and Hinata). But it wasn't any match for Gaara's sand, which crushed Lee's left arm and leg. He was carried off on a stretcher, the medics saying he wouldn't be able to be a shinobi ever again.

The last match was "**Akimichi Chouji vs. Dosu Kinuta**".

Chouji lost pretty quickly. He simply couldn't win against Dosu's sound techniques. Even his "Baika no Jutsu" and his "Meat Tank" he wasn't able to win against the Oto-nin.

"Now then," Sandaime stood in front of the remaining examinees, "Each of you will draw a piece of paper from the box Anko's holding. This will decide who faces who in the finals."

Naruto: 1

Dosu: 8

Shikamaru: 9

Hinata: 7

Kankuro: 5

Gaara: 3

Neji: 2

Shino: 6

And that left Sasuke with 4.

Ibiki showed them a chart. It depicted the opponents for the Finals.

Match One: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuga Neji

Match Two: Gaara vs. Uchiha Sasuke

Match Three: Kankuro vs. Aburame Shino

Match Four: Dosu Kinuta vs. Hyuga Hinata

Match Five: Match Four victor vs. Nara Shikamaru

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Next time…

"_Okay, Naruto, listen up. I'm only going to explain this once."— Ichigo_

"_So, Kyubi forms this 'inner hollow' Ichigo was talking about?" — Naruto_

"_Those of us who possess this inner hollow and can access its powers are called 'Vizards'."— Ichigo_

"_**So, kit, this is how it is? Heh, let's you **_**try**_** to defeat me!" **__— Kyubi_

"_Naruto, Ichigo and I are going to be teaching Hinata. So you're going to have to master your Vizard powers alone." — Rukia_

"_Sakuhime…what an amazing sword you are. So this is Bankai?" — Sasuke_

"_**You're going to have to take care of that Kabuto kid early, this time. We can't have him helping Orochimaru." **__— Kyubi_

"_Alright, then. I am ready to take this next step? Can I become a Vizard?" — Naruto_

"_Hump! Pitiful!" — Unknown_

"_This is…my Bankai?" — Hinata_

"_An invasion, eh? I'll have to make sure to be very careful about this one. One wrong move could kill my beloved Konoha."—Sandaime_

_The Preliminaries have ended, and it appears as though Naruto had no trouble defeating his opponent. Sasuke has gained access to his own Zanpakutô, but he's marked now. Will Sakuhime manage to prevent him from turning to Orochimaru, like he did in the original timeline? Or will he go off anyway? Only time will tell, but Sasuke seems to have acquired a power Orochimaru could never give him._

_The powers of a Vizard? What do they involve? Wait, Naruto has to beat Kyubi in order gain these powers? Does he even stand a chance, despite the fact that the huge beast has to use a human form during their battle? So…these powers…would they be enough to stop the invasion?_

_Next time, "The Mask of the Vizard." _

** — o.0.O.O.0.o —   
A/N Alright. Chapter Six is up. Everything is running smoothly. I've got hundreds of fans across the country reading my stories. Life's good.**

**Sorry this took so long to get out, but I had a distinct lack of inspiration…and reviews! Seriously, an average of three to five thousand people, at least, read each chapter, and only forty or so leave reviews! There were over ninety-four thousand hits for Volume 1, and only 500 reviews! Come on, people, and throw me a bone! Review! It makes me update faster if I know you like what you're reading! I'm serious!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, (Dot) Hack, or Bleach**

**I don't know if I'll ever be using Rurouni Kenshin ever again, but I put it in there just in case. So, those of you who are disappointed about that…sorry.**

**Much like Kubo-sensei, I have assigned each of the characters a theme song, reaching from the depths of all music I know. Here they are:  
**Kazama Naruto: _Number One (Bleach)_  
Naruto during Bankai: _Kresnik (Trinity Blood)_   
Hyuga Hinata: _Kind Hands (Dot Hack//G.U.)  
_Sabaku no Gaara: _On the Precipice of Defeat (Bleach)_  
Uchiha Sasuke: _Tattoos on the Sky (Bleach)_  
Kurosaki Rukia: _Broken Wings (Trinity Blood)_  
Kurosaki Ichigo: _Asterisk (Bleach)  
_Haruno Sakura: _Gravity (Wolf's Rain)_  
Hatake Kakashi: _Sobakasu (Rurouni Kenshin)_  
Jiraiya: _Bunta (Naruto)  
_Sandaime: _Song of Time (Legend of Zelda)  
_Sarutobi Asuma: _Ready, Steady, Go! (Fullmetal Alchemist)_

**The release of Chapter Six…err, I'm not sure about when that'll be. I need the inspiration to write it first. And reviews.**

**Bankai:**_ See Author's Notes at the bottom of Chapter Five._

**Bakudō**:  
Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudō Number Nine: Geki! (Path of Binding: Hit)

**Hadō**:  
Hadō Number Four: Byakurai (Path of Destruction: White Lightning)

_**Yes…Consume all happiness and sadness and use it as your stepping stone…**_

**James Daniel Godric Fawkes**

_James Daniel Godric Fawkes_**(Signature best viewed in **_**Wendy Medium**_** font style)**


	7. The Mask of the Vizard

_Dreaming in the land of the Twilight_

_I'll be there…by your side  
in the land…of Twilight  
in your dream…I will go  
till we find…the sunrise_

_You are lost in nightmare  
deep in blue…illusion  
One more kiss to wake you up  
Come be mine…you are mine_

_I will be there seeking for Liminality  
No destinations to see, I wander  
in quiet places so dark as eternity  
I'm crying, calling your name  
I'm searching for you_

_Deep in Blue eternity  
Search for Liminality_

_**Liminality,**__ by See-Saw, from __**(Dot) hack//Liminality **_

_**(A/N: This is one of the two songs that fits very well with this chapter. The second, **__Nothing Can Be Explained, composed by Shiro Sagisu, sung by Mike Wyzgowski,__** will probably pop up later. If not this chapter, then a different one. I own a copy of the OST CDs with these songs on them, but I don't own the songs.)**_

Naruto looked at the Jounin in front of him, a slightly surprised appearance to his face. It had been _so_ unexpected, so unlike his memories that, quite frankly, it caught him off guard. As the offer and his sensei's words finally sunk in, he resisted the urge to chuckle at the irony only he understood, "No thanks, Kakashi-sensei."

"But," Kakashi looked confused, clearly not expecting the denial and refusal of his offer, "Naruto, I thought you'd want to. I mean, I'm the only Sharingan user in this village capable of teaching you."

"It's not that I don't appreciate the offer, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto placated, knowing that the wrong words would hurt Kakashi's feelings and damage the Jounin's self-worth. "I just don't think it would be a good idea for you to try training two students at the same time."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked. He was confused, befuddled, however you put it, he was out of the loop. He'd expected his student, the one that was so much like Obito, to jump at the offer of training. He had already set up Rin to train Sakura in medical stuff, and he _was_ a Jounin sensei. It was his duty, his right, his privilege, his _honor_ to train such promising Genin as Sasuke and Naruto. "I can train two Genin at once."

"That's not what I mean, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. "You're offering me the chance to train with an experienced Sharingan user, but I don't need that training since _my_ Sharingan is just as developed as yours. And _you_ need to help Sasuke get stronger for his match with Gaara, because, even though he won't win, he'll need that training _just to stay alive_."

Kakashi waited for a second, expecting a 'just kidding' from Konoha's number one prankster, and frowned when it didn't come, "You're serious?"

Naruto nodded, a frown etching itself on his face, "Yeah. Gaara is a demon host, just like me. He's unstable, because his seal isn't nearly strong enough. Given the right skills and the right amount of speed, he might win. But, when Shukaku decides to make his appearance, Sasuke will lose. Horribly."

Naruto turned and started to walk away from Kakashi, preparing his senses for an in-depth search for Ichigo and Rukia. The minute the two Shinigami came to the forefront of his thoughts, he stopped as an idea popped into his head. He turned slightly, just enough to see Kakashi clearly from the corner of his eye, "I'm going to pull some strings and see if I can't find a suitable person to teach him to use his sword. Expect someone dressed in a kimono and hakama. If you see that person, ask him or her if they're wearing a shihakushô. If it's someone I convinced to teach Sasuke, they'll say yes."

**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce  
By: **James D. Fawkes

**Chapter Seven: Mask of the Vizard  
— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

Naruto landed deftly, searching the clearing he had come upon for familiar faces. He'd followed the trail of reiatsu dutifully, even as it led out of Konoha's normal areas and into one of the densest training grounds, which, despite the closely packed trees, possessed this small clearing. This is where the trail led, and he was highly disappointed to discover no one was there.

That is, until Ichigo walked out from behind one of the trees, dressed in his usual shihakushô and captain's haori, Rukia leaning against the tree he had appeared from. Ichigo waved, a smirk on his face the closest thing to 'friendly' Naruto thought he'd ever get from the orange-haired Shinigami.

As he came within five feet of Naruto, he suddenly plopped down onto the ground, motioning for the blonde-haired boy to do the same. Ever mindful of a surprise attack, which could be a crazy test of his speed by Ichigo's logic, Naruto followed his temporary teacher's instruction and sat.

Nodding, Ichigo cleared his throat importantly, seemingly ignorant of the irritated glare Rukia threw at him for acting foolishly, "Okay, Naruto, listen up. I'm only going to explain this once."

At Naruto's nod, Ichigo continued, "Now, you are aware that there are spirits such as myself and Rukia called Shinigami, and that we guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife. What you don't know is that, a while ago, when the population of this country was much greater and spirits were much harder to find, there existed a second race of spirits. One that formed from the decaying of spirits that hadn't been helped to pass on. These evil spirits were called Hollows."

Despite the surprised look on Naruto's face, Ichigo didn't stop his lecture, "Hollows fed on souls of others, whether their prey was living or dead. What was unknown to all except a select few, and I mean three or four people, was that every soul, even those who had already become Shinigami, was capable of becoming a Hollow."

The Fifth Division Captain paused, letting the information sink in before he went on, "Each Shinigami has a dormant second being inhabiting his or her soul, and this being has been dubbed the 'Inner Hollow'. Through certain circumstances, these inner beings would, for lack of better term, wake up. When they did so, they would fight the original being for dominance of the soul and body, and the more a Shinigami drew on his or her Zanpakutô's power, the harder it would be to keep the Inner Hollow at bay."

Naruto, eyes wide and mouth well on its way to reaching the ground, listened with rapt attention, "Shinigami who could permanently subdue this inner being and could, subsequently, draw on its powers were dubbed the Vizard, and, at one time, the Vizard were considered unnatural monstrosities by Soul Society. You, Naruto, because of your nature as a Jinchuuriki, are capable of becoming a Vizard."

Naruto was silent for a moment, then began to sputter, "B-but I don't have an Inner Hollow that I'm constantly doing battle against! I mean, I have the Kyubi, but…"

Naruto paused for a second as a thought struck him, then his eyes, impossibly, widened further, "Y-you mean that Kyubi is my 'Inner Hollow'?"

Ichigo nodded, a serious frown on his face, "Yes, Naruto. However, after you subdue the Kyubi, you will only be able to access your Vizard powers in your current form. Your Vizard powers will only manifest in your spirit form after your body has passed on."

Naruto still looked like he'd been told something impossible, a look of surprise plastered to his face. Ichigo sighed, "Look, Naruto, Rukia and I are going to train Hinata for the exam. Rukia's going to teach her the upper level Kido and I'm going to set up some endurance training for her. All you need to do is visit the world of your Zanpakutô and its spirit will set up the battle."

In a flash, Ichigo and Rukia had disappeared, leaving Naruto to ponder the information that had just been passed on to him.

It was certainly a surprise, that was for sure. He'd never heard of these demonic spirits called Hollows, and he'd never seen something that he might have called a Hollow. To learn of their existence, and, at the same time, learn that they were now extinct was something he'd not expected.

But to learn that one of these beings existed in each Shinigami, and that Kyubi was his 'Inner Hollow', was quite a shock. Really? Him, possessing his own 'Inner Hollow'? Especially one that took the form of a giant, nine-tailed fox? He'd never have guessed, even if he had heard of Hollows prior to that day.

It may not have seemed too believable, but it was possible. He'd only accessed the Kyubi's power once while he was also using his sword, but he'd never experienced any ill effects. There had, however, been something pushing lightly against his conscious during those moments, not enough to distract him from his battle with Orochimaru, but enough for him to know it was there.

"_So," _Naruto thought slowly, as if consciously wording his thoughts would cement them into fact, _"Kyubi forms this 'Inner Hollow' Ichigo was talking about?"_

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

As Naruto closed his eyes, he'd noticed the world around him disappear, as was usual when he visited Zangetsu in his own home.

When he'd opened his eyes again, Naruto was standing sideways on one of the tall buildings, Zangetsu standing on the side of the other. The blue, nearly cloudless sky stretched on to his left, and the cold gray ground was an endless expanse on his left. Naruto resisted the feeling of vertigo.

"Naruto," Zangetsu nodded in acknowledgement, "I know why you are here."

"You are here," Zangetsu pulled a white version of Naruto's sword from his cloak, tossing it into the air, "to battle your inner beast."

Naruto watched in confusion as the sword tumbled, until an entity shot forth and grasped it, landing on the other edge of the building Naruto stood on. Naruto's eyes widened as he took in the other being's appearance, somehow understanding that it was the demon fox that stood opposite him.

A mop of spiky white hair fit on to the figure's head, white hitai-ate with a plate of black metal holding some of the unruly strands away from Kyubi's face. Pale white skin, marred by three dark whisker marks on each cheek, made up his face. His eyes were slit pupils and crimson irises, surrounded by a sea of black. A blue tongue darted out to lick pitch-black teeth, an unholy grin on the beast's human face.

Pristine white clothes fit Kyubi's body, which had the same physique as Naruto's. When the demon spoke, its voice, though similar to Naruto's, was echoing and distorted, as if it were the only being that could speak underwater and still be understood, **"So, kit, this is how it is?"**

He chuckled insanely as he gripped his white sword, running his tongue over his black canines, **"Heh, let's see you just **_**try**_** to defeat me!"**

Naruto barely had time to draw his sword as the humanoid demon launched itself towards him in what eerily resembled Shunpo. With a clang, his straight black katana blocked the white steel.

Naruto scowled darkly, muscles straining as he tried to push his opponent's blade away. The demon's grin merely widened, one eyebrow ticking upward in a triumphant glare. An insane giggle slipped through the beasts dark teeth, the white sword slipping inches closer toward Naruto's face.

Pushing his sword forward, Naruto jumped back, away from Kyubi. He knew that he would have some trouble with this, considering it _was_ Kyubi he was going up against, but he'd nearly been overpowered by the demon there. Had he not disengaged when he had, he could have easily been overwhelmed by the beast's strength.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto relaxed his tensed muscles and prepared himself for battle. The first strike had caught him unawares and unprepared, which was why he had had such a hard time keeping up his defense. He'd let his guard drop due to his familiarity with his tenant and Zangetsu. That small drop in his defense had made it easy for Kyubi to surprise him with such a fast attack.

Naruto lifted his katana and gripped it tightly. This would come down to a battle of skill, since his and Kyubi's powers were currently very close to being the same. Within this world, he had access to the hidden store of energy in his right palm, since his body in this realm was not technically physical. Therefore, he could not explode from chakra overload.

Naruto blinked, revealing red, Sharingan eyes. Then, in a dash so fast, he was nearly invisible, Naruto leapt at his opponent, sword sailing downward in a diagonal slash. With speed to rival Naruto's, Kyubi brought his own sword to bare, his grin never falling. There was a loud, metallic clang and a swoosh of displaced air as his white blade blocked Naruto's black one. They appeared to be equals.

Kyubi cackled insanely, black teeth flashing in the sideways sun, mouth open wide, **"Yes! Yes! Ooh! This is so much **_**fun**_**! Come on, kit!"**

Naruto growled as his feet touched the steel building again, a deep scowl tugging at his lips, "Bastard."

With a jerking push on his blade, Naruto jumped back again, landing a good distance from his foe. He hated to admit it, but their power levels were damn near equal, and neither of them appeared to have an advantage over each other. The battle had just started, but Naruto had a feeling that it would go on for a long, long time.

Naruto felt a bit of dread slip into his stomach as he realized what such a long battle would mean.

He'd have to use Bankai.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Kakashi halted his training with Sasuke as he sensed another person enter the area, holding up a hand to pause his student's attack. The silver-haired Jounin turned his head around slightly, fixing the intruder with a wary stare.

Three strands of black hair fell over the left side of the stranger's pale face, the bangs on his right side pushed towards the back of his head by some peculiar white hair-piece. Piercing blue eyes gazed dispassionately at Kakashi, offering no warmth or friendliness. A white scarf was set beneath his chin, hiding a small portion of a white haori. A black kimono and hakama, as well as a white obi and pink sword hilt, were hidden beneath the haori. Straw sandals fit his feet and white samurai bracers that went an inch or two past his wrists protected his hands.

Kakashi, seeing the kimono and hakama, asked the question that Naruto had warned him to ask, "Are you wearing a shihakushô?"

The stranger's blue eyes flashed as they narrowed onto Kakashi's form, "And how would you know that, _boy_?"

Kakashi, though slightly confused at being called a boy by someone who looked slightly younger than himself, tensed at the hostility in his tone, "If Naruto didn't arrange for you to come here, then why have you appeared?"

The stranger's eyes narrowed slightly, his lips creasing into a thin line. He was frowning, "I came here to train that boy, the one whose blade resembles mine."

Sasuke blinked as he realized that the man was talking about him. Pulling Sakuhime from her makeshift sheath, he held her neutrally, her tip pointed to the earth, "You mean Sakuhime?"

The man nodded, beginning to make his way towards Sasuke, "If that is indeed her name."

"Wait," Kakashi set his hand on the stranger's shoulder to prevent his advancement, "first, you're going to tell us your name."

"Kuchiki Byakuya bows to no man's requests," the stranger's eyes narrowed further, then he disappeared in front of the Jounin's eyes, reappearing back to back with Kakashi. He spat his next words, "Know your place, _boy_."

Eye wide, Kakashi brought his hand to his face as the stranger continued towards Sasuke. A thin cut stretched across the palm of the hand he'd rested on Byakuya's shoulder, blood seeping from it. It was clean and precise, the cut one only received from a sword wound. But when…?

Kakashi looked to the other man, mouth open beneath his mask and both eyes wide open. When had he drawn his sword? Praised as one of the fastest Jounin in the Hidden Leaf Village, in Konoha, Kakashi hadn't even seen him move towards his blade, nor had he seen the man move from in front of him to behind him.

Whoever this Kuchiki Byakuya was, he was definitely interesting, and quite powerful. And yet... Kakashi's eye narrowed, his teeth grinding against one another. And yet, Kakashi could somehow tell that this man still had plenty of power he had not shown. Were he to face this man, Kakashi had no doubt he'd be killed.

Sharingan or not, Kakashi had a feeling that Naruto was the only one who could match this man's speed and power.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto pushed himself back from another clash with his demon tenant, growling at his lack of success. He himself sported several cuts along his arms and one on his cheek. Kyubi had a singular cut on his right cheek, and as soon as he'd known it was there, he'd licked the blood away with his blue tongue. Naruto found himself disgusted with the display.

Naruto was at the end of his rope. He'd tried several different things to defeat the bastard, but none had worked the way he'd expected them to. Byakurai had been all but useless, as had all of the other Kido he'd tried. Nothing had worked on the beast.

Calming his ragged breathing Naruto stood straight, raising his sword above his head. Across from him, Kyubi did the same, maniacal grin still in place. Opposing energies gathered, one blue, the other red. One glared at his opponent, the other eyed his foe like he was a new two to be played with.

In unison, the word left their mouths. Both Naruto and Kyubi said it, at exactly the same time, "Bankai!"

Two flashes lit up the area, but Zangetsu didn't even blink as the two balls of energy lit up in front of him. He merely watched, a serious look on his face, as red and blue faded to reveal black and white.

Naruto felt his mouth drop open slightly, then glared at the demon, confusion dancing in his gaze, "When did you learn Bankai?"

Kyubi giggled again, wearing a white version of Zangetsu's cloak, **"The same time you did, King."**

Naruto looked at him as though he'd lost his mind, "King?"

Kyubi leered, grin stretching further, **"Oh, my. Didn't you know? You're the king of this place. Since you are the dominant part of our shared soul, you are king of this world, and king of my prison. Had you truly wanted to, you could have stolen all my power any time you wanted."**

Naruto, despite knowing that he spoke the truth, knew that it was only half of the full truth, "What would have happened had I done that?"

Kyubi rested his sword against his shoulder, grin never dropping, **"I don't imagine you'd have been able to handle that much chakra, King. Since it's **_**my**_** power, the more of it you drew** **on, the easier it would be for me to force my way into control. Then I'd be **_**free**_**."**

As soon as the word had left his mouth, Kyubi disappeared in a burst of the speed that Bankai granted him. He reappeared, his sword blocked by Naruto's, who was using two hands to keep his opponent's weapon at bay. Kyubi's grin suddenly became a toothy smirk as the pale figure rested his free hand up against the white blade of his sword.

"**Getsuga,"** Kyubi said, smirk still in place as energy gathered in the blade he held, **"…Tenshô."**

Naruto's eyes shot wide open as a flash of energy engulfed him, originating from the sword in his foe's hands.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Konohamaru skidded to a halt as he caught sight of someone standing in the training field he and his friends used as a hideout. Curious, he walked towards the person, then recognized the mop of spiky blonde hair resting on the figure's head. Excitement flooding through his veins, Konohamaru rushed over, Moegi and Udon right behind him.

"Hey, Naruto-oyabun!" he yelled, rushing over to his older brother figure. Excitedly, he grasped to blonde's hand, in which was held a sleek black katana, only to discover his friend wouldn't budge. The taut muscles in Naruto's arms and legs prevented him from being moved, and made him seem like he was a statue of some kind.

Konohamaru blinked in confusion as he caught sight of a strange ragged coat he'd never seen before, the tight sleeves covering Naruto's arms. He also noticed a pair of goggles set over his friend's closed eyes. He nearly laughed at the concept that flashed through his mind. Naruto was asleep standing up.

Blinking confusedly, Konohamaru backed up from the boy in front of him as he felt something warm, wet, and sticky trickle down his palm. As he opened his palm and looked at the substance that had interrupted his fun, he moved in front of his first friend. Konohamaru blinked again, then his eyes widened in horror.

Falling backwards with a terrified cry, Konohamaru lifted his eyes to Naruto's body, only to let loose a bloodcurdling scream as he saw the condition of the blonde boy. Mind blank with horror, Konohamaru scrambled to his feet and took off towards the Academy and Iruka, rescuing Naruto the only thing that made sense right then.

Udon and Moegi looked at the blonde too, then ran off after Konohamaru, screaming bloody murder as they caught sight of the Genin's body.

Various cuts had dug their way into Naruto's skin, some on his arms, one or two on his face, and a couple on his legs. They were nothing serious. They bled a little, but they'd be healed pretty quickly. On his chest, though, underneath a large slice in his shirt, was a wide, dangerous gash that traveled from his right hip to his left shoulder, bleeding all over the place.

And there, right in the middle of the gash, a small strip of white shone through all the blood.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto stumbled backwards, gasping deeply as he grasped at the horrid wound in his chest. He glared, one eye half-closed, at the beast that had done such damage to him. He was lucky to have escaped that alive, let alone with such a healable injury as the one he sported. Sure, it was painful, but what would have seemed life threatening to others was merely superficial to him.

Kyubi walked forward, grin still plastered to his face, as he watched the pain his vessel suffered through. Stopping but a few feet from his opponent, he held his sword so that the hand guard was parallel to the ground. He let it drop, watching the stunned expression on Naruto face as he recited the command phrase, **"Banki: Senkei."**

Naruto's sword felt heavy in his hand as he watched the circular cage, this time made of glowing blue swords, materialize around him. Then, eight Kyubi's took their place around him, each holding an identical white-bladed Zangetsu.

"**Say goodnight,"** they all echoed, their eerie voices blending together, **"King."**

Their swords seemed to descend in slow motion as images flew through Naruto's mind. Zabuza attacking without hesitation. Gaara massacring without mercy. Orochimaru fighting without apprehension. Iruka battling Mizuki without fear. His father…shedding all trace of doubt in order to seal the Kyubi within him.

Faster than any of the Kyubi's could react, Naruto lunged forward, stabbing his sword through the heart of the Kyubi in front of him. The demon's grin flipped into a frown as the blue katana and the other seven copies all faded into nothingness, restoring his vision of the sideways world, **"Damn."**

Naruto looked down from the demon's face and saw that, spreading out in all directions for about two inches, a circle of black clothing surrounded his the place his sword had pierced. Kyubi suddenly grinned again, **"Well, King, it seems you won."**

Naruto could only watch in stunned fascination as the beast that had come so close to killing him dissipated into nothing. Then, like magic, Naruto's wounds healed, as if they had never been there in the first place.

Before he left, Naruto turned to Zangetsu and smiled gratefully, "Thanks, Zangetsu."

Zangetsu merely smiled and nodded.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Yakushi Kabuto leapt from rooftop to rooftop, leaving his midnight rendezvous Baki. All the plans were set, so he had nothing to worry about except for doing Orochimaru's bidding. He smirked. Everything was going the way it was supposed to.

He stopped as he felt a presence dogging him, following his shadow. He peered around, tense and waiting for whomever it was to make their move. He was agitated. He didn't need this sort of annoyance at this time, especially not when everything was going as planned.

He turned around as he felt his follower's presence ignite behind him, a neutral expression on his face. He was immediately met with the sight of a man wearing a hooded cloak, the chin of a white mask peeking from the shadows. Kabuto instantly recognized the identity of his pursuer and put on a friendly smile, "Hi, ANBU-san! I'm just out for a midnight stroll. Nothing big."

The ANBU said nothing, merely walking forward until his was a foot or two away from Kabuto, his mask now more visible.

Kabuto resisted the impulse to recoil at the appearance of the mask, which held none of the usual ANBU traits. The mask was skull-like, with a full two rows of incisor-like teeth near the chin, below where a person's nose would be. Kabuto wasn't positive, but he thought he might see stripes along the white mask, two one each cheek and two arching from the top of the left eye and out of view (thanks to the hood).

Normally, these features might have been odd enough to instill apprehension in Kabuto, for he had never seen an ANBU with a mask bearing such proportions, but it was the eyes that got Kabuto. Slit pupils and crimson irises, surrounded by a sea of black where the whites should be.

"_**You've been a naughty boy, Kabuto-chan,"**_ the person said, his or her voice familiar, but unrecognizable because of the distortion to it. It was like this ANBU was the only person that could speak underwater and still be understood.

"_**Fraternizing with the enemy, Kabuto-chan,"**_ the voice continued, that eerie distortion still present. The voice, despite the distortion, was oddly familiar, as if he'd heard it before and should know to whom it belonged. But, for the life of him, Kabuto could not place a name to that voice.

"_**Conspiracy to commit mutiny, Kabuto-chan,"**_ the ANBU moved closer and Kabuto took a step back for every step forward. That voice was nagging him, taunting him, baiting him with the identity of its owner, but still, Kabuto could not remember to whom it belonged.

"_**Conspiring with a traitor ninja, Kabuto-chan,"**_ Kabuto backed up further, an inexplicable fear rushing through his bones. He knew who this person was, the name was on the tip of his tongue, but would not spill from his lips. His brain was trying to utter the name, trying to force him to say it and make it fact, but he could not speak it.

"_**Giving vital information to the enemy, Kabuto-chan,"**_ this was the man who had defeated Orochimaru, he was sure of it. This person had caused such damage to his master, and it was this person who ultimately possessed power greater than the Yondaime Hokage. He was sure of it. This was that person. The person who would rise up and become…

"_**All crimes that, by law of the Rokudaime Hokage, are punishable by death, Kabuto-chan,"**_ the eyes behind the mask leered at him, and Kabuto was suddenly capable of saying what he hadn't before. It had taken only those words to force the name from his mouth. _By law of the Rokudaime Hokage._

"Uzumaki Naruto!" Kabuto spat, the identity of his foe suddenly clear, and the answer to his crisis given.

The ANBU reached up and pulled the mask aside a bit, just enough for Kabuto to see blonde hair, three whisker marks, half of a vulpine grin, and one of those horrible, horrible eyes. Then, as fast as it had come, the visage of his executioner was hidden once more behind the skull-like mask.

"_**Ooh, Kabuto-chan! The way you say that name! It gives me shivers!"**_ Kabuto felt sick to his stomach at the playful tone to Naruto's voice. Normally, it wouldn't be a problem, he'd have no qualms facing that tone. But with the distortion to his voice, the tone took on a sinister gleam. Kabuto's palms started to sweat as one fact became abundantly clear.

He wouldn't leave this place alive.

Kabuto felt he'd rather face the Kyubi no Yoko than this monster, because the Kyubi never dragged things out, never taunted and played, never treated it like a game. If the Kyubi wanted you dead, he'd kill you on the spot, no deviousness and tricks involved. If the Kyubi wanted you dead, then you were already dying or breathing your last breath. Naruto was not nearly as 'merciful'.

Kabuto suddenly gasped painfully and looked down to see a straight black blade protruding from his chest, having stabbed right through his heart. Likely the only thing keeping him alive was the fact that the sword had yet to be removed from its place in his body.

"_**You see, Kabuto-chan,"**_ Naruto's voice was softer, quieter than before, but the distortion remained as he whispered in the dying man's ear, _**"the one thing I cannot forgive is plotting against Konoha, and, thereby, my precious people. So, I sentence you…to **_**death**_**."**_

Kabuto gasped again as the sword was removed and his chest cavity filled with blood as his heart sprung a leak. Falling first to his knees, then onto his chest, Kabuto was dead before he hit the rooftop, a look of terror on his face.

The skull-masked ANBU, the only other person aware of the silver-haired ninja's location, disappeared into the night, his job done.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto walked, in spirit form, through the large oriental doors that Ichigo called the Senkaimon. He'd told Naruto to follow him because he had a surprise. So, Naruto, ever eager to find out what could possible surprise himself, had dutifully followed his temporary teacher through the portal that would take them to Seireitei (the Court of Pure Souls) within Soul Society.

Confused, he followed Ichigo through the long, winding hallways he was subjected to, his curiosity growing with each step. He tried to memorize each turn they took, so as not to get lost in the vast confines of the building he was in. Right, left, left, right, left, right, right, left, left, right.

Finally, they came upon another set of double sliding doors, which Ichigo pushed open effortlessly. Poking his head through the doors, Naruto looked around the room, only to find it empty and bereft of everything but a bed. Turning towards Ichigo, whose arm had been in his way a bit as he searched the room, he posed the question on his mind, "Ichigo, why are we—?"

Naruto stopped short as he caught sight of a part of the room that had been obscured by the orange-haired man's arm. In that corner sat a desk, and at that desk sat a man who was probably somewhere in his thirties. He was lean, muscular and tall, something you didn't see very often except in high-level Jounin. But this man was not what caught Naruto's eyes.

It was his hair.

Atop the head of this man was an unruly mop of spiky blonde hair that flew out in every direction, hair that no one could hope to tame. Sharp blue eyes locked onto his form inquisitively as the man turned in his seat at the sound of Naruto's voice, black robes wrinkling at the motion.

The man stood after a second, his eyes wide and his mouth falling open as he took in Naruto's appearance. Ichigo, Naruto noted absently, had disappeared without a trace.

The man, who Naruto now recognized as the Fourth Hokage, took a shaky step forward, hakama swaying gently. Delicately, he asked, "N-Naruto?"

Stunned and speechless, Naruto nodded gently. Nearly too fast for Naruto to see, the man flew forward, wrapping him in a tight, merciless bear hug. One that threatened to crack Naruto's spine should it last too long.

Murmurs of "I can't believe it's you!" and "Oh god, Naruto!" as well as a few, "You're alive! You're alive!" reached the blonde boy's ears as he tentatively returned the hug.

A few seconds later, the Fourth pulled back from his hug, holding his son at arm's length. A bright smile lit up his face, a grin reminiscent of Naruto's own grins twitching at his lips.

"So," the older man grinned mischievously, waggling his eyebrows, "do I have any grandkids yet?"

A blush crept up Naruto's face as impure thoughts flooded his head. Inappropriate thoughts about what he and Hinata had done on their wedding night, and various other nights after that. Training sessions that had quickly ceased to be training sessions. Eager tent sharing on long-term missions.

"Dad!" Naruto yelled, as if it was the most common thing in the world to say that name.

Arashi chuckled heartily, obviously enjoying the embarrassment his son was suffering through. In that instant, the twelve years they'd spent apart (almost 32 years by Naruto's perspective) melted away as if they'd spent that time together all along. Those long nights, wishing they could spend time together like a real family. Those painful days where Naruto had to watch all of his friends get picked up by their parents while he was alone.

Then, with a sly grin, Naruto said, "You'll have to wait a few more years before that happens."

The Fourth blinked, then laughed again as his own joke was turned on him. His son (it felt so right to think those words) was a 'loaded pistol' as the phrase went. A joke and witty comeback for every situation.

"So," the Fourth said conversationally, laughter under control, "I hear you've made it to the final rounds of the Chûnin Exams."

Naruto nodded, "Yup. Hinata-chan's there, too. She'll have to go against Shikamaru."

"Oh?" Arashi asked, arching an eyebrow. "Hinata-chan, eh? Guess I'll have to stay to watch her match, too."

Naruto blinked as the implications of those words sank in. Oh so eloquent, Naruto responded with an intelligent, "Huh?"

"That's right," the Fourth grinned excitedly, "I've got special permission to come watch your match against Neji."

"But," Naruto protested, confused, "won't everyone see you?"

"Nah," Arashi said firmly. "Only the spiritually adept, that's you, Sasuke, and Hinata, will be able to see me. So it'll be fine."

"_Maybe so,"_ Naruto thought, silently unconvinced, _"But wouldn't that mean Kakashi would be unable to see the guy Ichigo said was sent to train Sasuke?"_

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Gaara walked quietly into the hospital room of Rock Lee, bloodshot eyes staring intensely at the bleached white walls in front of him. He strode slowly, purposefully towards the bed containing the bandaged, spandex-wearing boy, his intent clear to anyone and anything capable of independent thought.

His open right hand shot outwards as his left jumped upwards, clenching at his head. Sand burst from his gourd, his breathing deep as it crept along the floors with a life of its own. It swirled slowly around Lee's bed, steadily creeping up onto the unconscious boy, attempting to cocoon him in a deadly coffin.

Suddenly, without warning, a fist came out of nowhere and collided solidly with his cheek, sending him sprawling backwards and to the floor. As the shock of being hit slowly wore off, Gaara straightened up, a small bit of his armor of sand flaking from his murderous face.

Naruto stood in front of him, his hakama-style pants replaced by his cargo pants once more. Hanabi had threatened him with castration for stealing her idea, so, to avoid a big scuffle with the Hyuga clan, one that wouldn't be good politically, he'd switched back. He'd miss wearing those other pants though, they were so comfortable.

Shikamaru stood not too far off, "Ow! Damn it, Naruto, I feel what he feels, remember?"

"What are you doing?" Naruto ignored Shikamaru, a scowl on his face.

"To release so much killing intent," Shikamaru frowned. "Why are you trying to kill Lee-san? Do you have some kind of grudge?"

"No," Gaara said. "I do not. It's not something that complicated. I'm going to kill him just because I want to."

"Oh yeah?" said Shikamaru. "Well, we're not going to let you do that. I mean, hey, you're strong, but we were holding back in the prelims, too. Right now, two against one, you don't stand a chance."

"You get in my way, you are dead," Gaara seemed unfazed by Shikamaru's comment.

"I'd like to see you try!" Naruto shouted, grasping his sword.

"Naruto," Shikamaru hissed. "Shut up! This guy's a monster!"

"So?" Naruto hissed back, repeating his well-rehearsed words. This was one event that needed to stay the same, lest Shikamaru get suspicious. "I've got a _real_ monster in me! He's nothing!"

"Ah, yes, a real monster. Shukaku is eager to fight him," Gaara's eyes glinted insanely. "I was born a monster. I came into this world by taking the life of the woman I would have called mother. My father created me in order to be Suna's ultimate weapon. I was spoiled and allowed to do whatever I pleased. But starting when I was six, my father tried countless times to assassinate me."

"Wait," Shikamaru said. "I thought you said you were spoiled?"

"A being too strong can become an existence of fear," Gaara didn't really specify if that was his answer or if he was just continuing his story. "Everyone hated me, and I found myself wondering why I went on with life. Why do I exist? Why do I live? I could find no answer. But everyone needs a reason to live, or else it's the same as being dead. Finally, I came to this conclusion. 'I exist to kill everyone but myself.' As long as there are people for me to kill, I will not vanish."

"The Hell?" Shikamaru was surprised.

"Now," sand rose, gushing at high speed in the direction of Naruto and his companion. "Let me feel _ali—!_"

He stopped abruptly as the full weight of Naruto's reiatsu crashed into him, as unprepared for it as he was. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the spiritual pressure disappeared and Gaara doubled over, grasping his head and screaming. His sand writhed on the ground, twitching as if in pain.

Slowly, the demon possessed sand ninja walked backwards toward the window, his sand following him obediently, as if it were slave to his whims. His pain seemed to have lessened by the time he reached his goal, since he wasn't doubled over anymore, but he still appeared to be struggling with something.

"Uzumaki," Gaara heaved, turning towards them before he left, his right eye clenched shut and his breathing labored, "make sure you survive until our battle."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Alright," Genma walked up, standing between the two Genin, "you guys are up first, so make sure to put on a good show. Begin!"

Neji sneered, dropping into a Gentle Fist stance, "I'll rejoice as I see you fall to pieces when you discover reality."

Naruto glanced up at the Hokage box, where the ghostly form of his father leaned against the railing, smiling reassuringly. Naruto smirked, deciding to show off a little bit.

"Heh," he chuckled, pulling a scroll from his kunai pouch, "your Byakugan might be able to see all around you, but sight is useless if your body can't match my speed."

Up in the stands, on his crutches, Lee grinned at Naruto's use of his words. With a cry of "Yoshi!" he flashed a smile and a 'thumbs up' sign at the blonde down in the arena.

Biting his thumb, Naruto wiped a streak of blood along the scroll, throwing it up as he flashed through hand seals. As he finished the last one, he grabbed the open end of the scroll and, with a flick of his wrist, revealed what had been sealed within the scroll.

Hundreds of tri-pronged kunai flew through the air, all originating from the scroll. Neji brought his arms up in front of his face protectively, watching with his active Byakugan as they flew past him harmlessly. Confused by the ineffectiveness of the throwing weapons, Neji turned his attention back on to Naruto…only to find him gone.

There was a flash of yellow, then, with Neji's three-hundred-sixty degree vision, he saw Naruto materialize behind himself, a smug smirk on his lips. Neji's eyes went wide.

He'd heard of this technique. The Hiraishin no Jutsu, the Yondaime's prized technique, the Jutsu that had brought down hundreds of highly skilled ninja from the Hidden Stone Village. His father had told him stories about the Great Shinobi War in which this technique had been used, and how the Tsuchikage had given a 'Flee on Sight' order for all who crossed paths with the Yellow Flash.

For Naruto to know such a deadly and powerful skill threw Neji for a loop. Sure, Naruto had beaten Kiba, but just because he could beat the mutt didn't mean that he wasn't the dead last.

"Your father died when you were young, Neji," Naruto said calmly, his tone neutral, "and for that, I pity you."

Naruto's eyes narrowed into a glare, "But you still had time to spend with your father. You had someone to hold you when you had nightmares. You had someone to comfort you when you were scared. You had someone to teach you something you'd never known before. And he left you with memories with which you could always remember the good times you had, and the love you were given."

Neji couldn't look away from Naruto as the blonde's eyes turned red, glaring into his skull, "But my parents died the night I was born. I was left alone from the beginning, with no one to hold me as I cried. No one to comfort me when I was scared."

Naruto's eyes began to water as he dredged up thoughts that he'd buried long ago, in his first life, years before Sasuke had first driven his Chidori through the blonde's chest, "My mother and father left me with only two things! These eyes…and this technique."

As Naruto's form flickered again, Neji ducked under a roundhouse kick that could have very easily taking his head off. Another flash and Naruto vanished again. Neji, flexible from his training in the Juken style, bent backward at the waist, dodging under a punch that could have very easily shattered his ribs.

With all his speed, Neji's hand shot out, grasping Naruto's arm tightly. Clearly not expecting such agility, Naruto fell victim to a hard throw as Neji tossed him towards the wall. Neji glared and gathered chakra, beginning to spin as Naruto righted himself and landed on the wall.

"Kaiten!" Neji shouted, throwing his chakra outwards and spinning like a top. As the dense chakra expanded, all of the kunai that were at advantageous spots around him were tossed aside like scrap metal, several of them breaking and bending irreparably.

Naruto watched dispassionately as several of his own kunai were thrown towards him. With a shrug of his shoulder, Naruto slid his sword from its sheath, holding it diagonally so that the flat of the blade was presented to the oncoming barrage. With a grin, he said, "Hoeru, Zangetsu." (Howl, Cutting Moon)

Neji glared as the dust cloud from his Jutsu cleared, recognizing the technique presented before him. He'd seen Hinata do the same thing during the preliminaries. She'd produced a translucent shield made of a chakra-like substance that had melted all of the weapons Tenten had launched at her. It was a very effective frontal defense, one that would surpass his Kaiten if it protected her from every side at once.

A rectangular hexagon of white energy stood protectively in front of Naruto, shielding him from the kunai that had been flung at him by the Hakkesho Kaiten. Grin plastered to his face, Naruto said, "This is Zangetsu's 'Gekkô no Tate', the 'Shield of Moonlight'."

"Bakudô," a voice said from behind Neji, who realized that, while his attention had been on the shield and what had (obviously) been a clone, Naruto had managed to sneak up on him, "Kyûjûkyû: Bubun Ichi: Kin!" (Path of Binding Ninety-nine: Part One: Seal)

Instantly, Neji's arms snapped backward, bound up to his biceps in what felt like leather straps and kept straight by what felt like iron rods. Neji growled as he realized that his hands were too close together for him to do any seals and escape, his fingers twitching angrily behind the backs of his legs.

Naruto sighed as he walked out from behind Neji and turned to face Neji's glaring eyes. He was thankful his clone had stolen a copy of the Kidô scrolls containing the more powerful ones while he was in Soul Society. He wanted to end this one for sure, because he wasn't positive that Neji would be unable to break out of the lower level Bakudô he knew, and he could afford to use Hadô on an ally right before the invasion.

"See, Neji," Naruto bent down, crouching until he was eye-level with the Hyuga prodigy, "I don't believe all that fate crap that you spout on about, and I don't really care for the Hyuga 'History of Hatred' as some call it. I live my life the way _I_ want to, not the way some non-existent entity determines I must. And if 'fate' was on your side today, I guess that means I beat fate, doesn't it?"

Standing back up, Naruto delivered a swift chop to the back of Neji's neck, releasing the Bakudô after he was sure his opponent was out cold. He went to join Hinata up in the stands as Genma declared, "Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto couldn't help but smile as he looked up at his beaming father, _"That's _Kazama_ Naruto."_

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Hinata leapt down into the ring as Kankuro forfeited, pushing her match with Shikamaru forward since Sasuke had yet to appear. Feeling just a slight bit annoyed with the Hokage for treating the Hyuga progeny special, she drew her sword as Shikamaru landed on his butt in the arena dirt.

"Alright, then," Genma said, stepping between them, "you guys are up. Hyuga Hinata versus Nara Shikamaru! Begin!"

Shikamaru sighed as he stood, a lazy scowl on his face, "What a drag. I get to fight the Hyuga heiress in one on one combat, and I'll probably get my but kicked if I win. On the other hand, I wouldn't hear the end of it if I lost. Ah, man. This sucks!"

"No offense, Shikamaru-san," Hinata smiled politely, "but you won't be winning this time."

Shikamaru shrugged, "If you were anyone else, Hinata-san, I'd have disregarded that comment. But you rarely brag about your own abilities, so I have to assume you're serious about that. So troublesome."

Hinata smiled again, and then, from behind him, he heard her say, "I'm sorry, Shikamaru-san, but you left yourself wide open."

Shocked, Shikamaru looked down, beneath the new, large slice in his fishnet mesh. A thin, shallow cut was etched in his chest, bleeding only slightly, but bleeding nonetheless. It stretched from the middle of his right pectoral to the hem of his shirt near his left hip. And he hadn't even seen her move.

Shikamaru jumped away from her, eyes wide as he realized just how far beyond his own level she was. He jumped back further as she started flashing through seals, she stopped after a good number, a determined look on her face, "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Great Waterfall)

A great vortex of water appeared as if from nowhere in front of Hinata, then burst forward towards Shikamaru. Jumping as high as he could, Shikamaru leapt over the attack and twisted in midair, landing behind where he'd predicted Hinata would be.

"You're smart, Shikamaru-san," a voice whispered to him from behind him, easily recognizable as Hinata's, "but you're far too slow."

Pain erupted in Shikamaru's chest again and he looked down to see a second cut, like a reverse of the first, had appeared on his chest, combining with the first to form an 'X' shape. Despite the pain he was feeling, Shikamaru smirked as he heard a small gasp, "Kagemane no Jutsu, success."

"But," Hinata stuttered in confusion, "when?"

Shikamaru turned around to face her, and she did the same thing since she was under his control, "I started the hand seals in the air, but didn't let my shadow reach out until I landed." The crowd listened to the explanation with rapt attention, "Since I knew your speed far surpassed mine, I stretched my shadow _behind_ me, where I predicted you'd be after you delivered a second attack."

"Very good, Shikamaru-san," Hinata smiled at him, which shoved a feeling of foreboding down into Shikamaru's stomach, "but there's one thing you left out of the equation."

The Hinata in his Kagemane technique splashed to the ground as the Mizu Bunshin dissolved and a voice behind him said, "Bakudô Ichiban: Sai!" (Path of Binding Number One: Restrain)

With those words as the only warning, Shikamaru's arms bent at the elbows until his wrists seemed like the were tied to the aforementioned joints, trapped behind his back. Wriggling around a little, Shikamaru discovered that it was impossible to break free or do hand seals. With a sigh, he said, "I guess I lose this one."

As Hinata and Shikamaru left the arena to the call of "Winner: Hyuga Hinata!" a whirlwind of leaves brought the late contestant to the Chûnin Exams Final Round. Hinata smiled faintly as she heard Naruto shout something down at the Uchiha progeny.

"You're late!"

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Next time…

"_Youki changes the body on a cellular level, based on how much is used!"— Naruto_

"_I am strong because I am protecting those I would call family. Naruto-kun believes in me, and I won't fail him!" — Hinata_

"_Using Hinata's technique and some of my youki…! Father, I'll be the first to welcome you back to life!"— Naruto_

"_**My, my, that's not a bad idea. Oh the joy of loopholes. Heh, heh, the Fourth shall return." **__— Kyubi_

"_I know how much you want to help them, Ichigo, but this isn't our battle to fight. We must not interfere!" — Rukia_

"_Sakuhime…what an amazing sword you are. So this is Bankai?" — Sasuke_

"_**Now, without his servant, Orochimaru will have to do things differently. Yes, this makes things all that much easier." **__— Kyubi_

"_Orochimaru…you won't take Ossan's life again. With me in the equation, you stand no chance against us." — Naruto_

"_Heh, heh, without the extra time you need to activate your 'Bankai', I'll have no trouble exterminating you, brat!" — Unknown_

"_Now, Benihime! For the sake of our village, and for the sake of the future!" — Hinata_

"_Arashi? Have you really returned, old friend? It seems…impossible, yet I stare at you with my own eyes."—Sandaime_

_Whoa, Naruto knows some pretty hardcore Kidô! But…Part One? Does that mean there's more to it than what's been seen so far? Things are certainly heating up! And what's this? The Fourth can be brought back to life? But how? He signed a deal with Ichigo that his life was forfeit in exchange for sealing the Kyubi. How is there a loophole that can be exploited for that, especially with the demon still sealed?_

_Hinata faces off against Gaara, revealing her Bankai to effectively stop him in his tracks. With Shukaku out of the way, can Hinata make it back to Naruto in time to help his plot to revive his dead father? Or will this idea ultimately fail, and the Fourth remain dead?_

_What do you think?_

_Next time, "Loophole! Kazama Arashi Reborn!" _

** — o.0.O.O.0.o —   
A/N Alright. Chapter Seven is up. Everything is running smoothly. I've updated at a reasonable speed. Life's good.**

**Err…I'm having a bit of a crisis here. I'm not sure, and I'd like you guys to tell me, but I think I might need to up my rating to "M" because of this chapter. So, uh, could you let me know what you think?**

**Sorry this took more than a day or two to get out, but I had a distinct lack of reviews. An average of three to five thousand people, at least, read each chapter, and only forty or so leave reviews. There were over ninety-four thousand hits for Volume 1, and only 500 reviews. Come on, people! Review! It makes me update faster if I know you like what you're reading! I'm serious!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, (Dot) Hack, or Bleach**

**A reviewer approached me with an idea (can't remember who). Why not have the number of lines on a Vizard's hollow mask symbolize how much control he has over his inner hollow? That was a cool idea and I expanded on it. The number of lines on Naruto's mask symbolizes the number of tails he's capable of accessing before Kyubi becomes dominant. Two lines for every tail. One line for every hour he's capable of wearing the mask for. Since Naruto's mask has a total of six lines, he's capable of using three tails and wearing the mask for a total of six straight hours.**

**As for when Naruto had time to call for Byakuya to help Sasuke…he didn't. Byakuya came to train him all on his own. (Grins) Looks like Little Byakuya is finally growing up.**

**Trivia: Hiraishin, as one word, means "Lightning rod". Hi-Rai-Shin, if you separate it into the three base words, means "Flying Thunder God". (Hi-Flying; Raishin- Thunder God) **

**The release of Chapter Eight…err, I'm not sure about when that'll be. I need the inspiration to write it first. And reviews.**

**Bankai:**_ See Author's Notes at the bottom of Chapter Five._

**Bakudō**:  
Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudō Number Nine: Geki! (Path of Binding: Hit)

Bakudô Ichiban: Sai (Path of Binding Number One: Restrain)

Bakudô Kyûjûkyû: Bubun Ichi: Kin (Path of Binding Ninety-nine: Part One: Seal)

**Hadō**:  
Hadō Number Four: Byakurai (Path of Destruction: White Lightning)

Ruler, Mask of blood and flesh, all things of the universe fly, that which names all. Gathering of heat and war, beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south. Hadô Sanjuuichi: Shakkahô (Path of Destruction Thirty-one: Red Flame Cannon)

_**Being the target of grudges…is a practice This One would like to end…**_

**James Daniel Godric Fawkes**

_James Daniel Godric Fawkes_**(Signature best viewed in **_**Wendy Medium**_** font style)**


	8. Loophole! Kazama Arashi Reborn!

_BELIEVE! hito ha kanashimi kasanete otona ni naru  
ima samishisa ni furueteru  
itoshii hito no  
sono kanashimi wo mune ni idaita mama de  
BELIEVE! namida yo umi he kaere _

_Koi shikute tsunoru omoi  
sora akane'iro ni someteku  
YES, MY SWEET, YES MY SWEETEST  
I WANNA GET BACK WHERE YOU WERE  
itoshii hito yo mou ichido  
YES, MY SWEET, YES MY SWEETEST  
I WANNA GET BACK WHERE YOU WERE  
dare mo hitori deha ikirarenai _

_BELIEVE! kaeranu hito wo omou to mune ha kageri   
ima kanashimi no kanata kara  
kaji wo toreba  
itsu no hi nika meguriaeru to shinjite  
BELIEVE! namida yo umi he kaere _

_itoshisa ni mune kogashi  
omoi sora wo someageru _

_YES, MY SWEET, YES MY SWEETEST  
I WANNA GET BACK WHERE YOU WERE  
itoshii hito yo mou ichido  
YES, MY SWEET, YES MY SWEETEST  
I WANNA GET BACK WHERE YOU WERE  
itoshii hito yo mou ichido  
YES, MY SWEET, YES MY SWEETEST  
I WANNA GET BACK WHERE YOU WERE  
dare mo hitori deha ikirarenai _

_**Fateful Meeting, **__by __**Ikeda Kou**_

Arashi stared down into the stadium, a slight grin playing at his face. This was beginning to be interesting. Naruto had proven himself quite the capable ninja, exceeding even his own father's expectations. Sure, Arashi had known he was strong, but he'd never imagined his son would have mastered the technique that had given him the name 'Yellow Flash'.

Arashi smirked. Now that Naruto had proven himself to be at Jounin levels, he deserved a fitting nickname to go along with it. After all, Kakashi was Sharingan Kakashi, Maito Gai was the 'Green Beast', the Third was 'The Professor', he himself was the 'Yellow Flash', and, last he'd heard, that Zabuza guy had been the 'Demon of the Bloody Mist'. All the strong Jounin had been given a famous nickname, and Arashi had no doubt that Naruto would make Chuunin from this exam. The distraction he'd given Neji had been perfect, after all.

So…what would be a powerful nickname that suited Naruto?

Brow crinkling, Arashi pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of his Shihakushô, furiously scribbling down ideas for a nickname that suited his son. It took a few minutes, namely because he had quite a lot of ideas, but the completed list was long and satisfying. With a small grin, he looked it over, periodically scratching a few out.

The Red Comet might work, and it sounded pretty cool, but it just wasn't fit for the type of shinobi Naruto was. It would be better suited for a ninja that wore red and used the Hiraishin as his primary technique, neither of which fit Naruto. Sure, if he used the Kyubi's chakra often, it might work better, but he'd rarely seen his son use the beast's energy.

Looking down at the next one, he quickly scratched out the 'Blue Death' as well. Like the 'Red Comet', it sounded pretty cool, but didn't quite fit in with the colors. The only thing blue about Naruto was his eyes, and he used the Sharingan often, so it didn't even fit there either. For a moment, he considered using 'White Death', but the only white techniques Naruto had were his Gekkô no Tate and his Getsuga Tenshô.

The White Devil was quickly eliminated for similar reasons, since it didn't fit either.

Arashi's eyes moved further downward, locking on to the next one. He thought about if for a second, then scratched out the 'Nightmare of Konoha'. Naruto had proved that he could be intimidating if he wanted to be, but there was a big difference intimidating and outright scary. And if there was one thing about his son, it was that he was not scary.

Master of Illusions was quickly eliminated as well, because Naruto didn't really care for Genjutsu and other illusionary skills. Naruto might be a ninja, yes, but if there was one thing Arashi learned from the reports he'd been given about his son, he was just as chivalrous as his father was. That meant that Naruto preferred attacking head on instead of being sneaky.

The Dragon. Arashi blinked. Where had that come from? He didn't remember putting that one down. Shrugging, he crossed it out as well. The 'Dragon' was better suited for a teashop, or, in the case of the 'Dragon of Konoha', better suited for one who used the Dragon Bullet Jutsu, like Karyuu Endan, Suiryuudan, and Doryuudan. As far as he knew, Naruto had never used one of those in his life.

The 'White Wolf'. Arashi considered it for a second, then crossed it out as well. It was a cool name, and his Getsuga Tenshô was enough reason to give him that nickname, but Arashi discarded it because it was too close to the 'White Fang', Hatake Sakumo. Kakashi wouldn't take to the idea of someone mooching off his father's old title.

Arashi blinked as he looked down at the last two, then a mischievous grin crept across his face. They were so perfect that he couldn't put his finger on which one he liked best. Still grinning, Arashi slipped the paper back into his Shihakushô, leaning on the railing to watch his nephew's match. Although he didn't much like the moody personality Sasuke possessed, the Uchiha heir was still his nephew.

Nobody noticed his little bit of fun choosing names, nor did they realize what the last two names had been. If they did, they would have probably agreed that both fit a powerful shinobi like Naruto pretty well.

The last two nicknames on the Yondaime's list were the 'Terror of Death' and the 'God of Death'.

Arashi was unaware of the glances Sarutobi shot towards him every now and then.

**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce  
By: **James D. Fawkes

**Chapter Eight: Loophole! Kazama Arashi Reborn  
— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

Sasuke dodged another barrage of sand, flitting back and forth around the ring. After seeing the kind of strength and range the Suna shinobi's attacks had, he'd realized that he couldn't get in close range. While he may have gained an enormous amount of speed during the month of training, Sasuke was well aware that he had his limits when it came to how long he could hold that speed.

Normally, this would mean that Sasuke was in a jam. 'Stuck between a rock and a hard place,' if you preferred to refer to it that way. He couldn't get in close, and all of his long-range attacks would be useless because they'd be blocked by Gaara's sand. But Sasuke had learned more than speed and the Chidori during his month long training with Kakashi. He'd learned a few things from Byakuya as well.

Quickly, Sasuke jumped back and out of range of Gaara's sand. To the bewilderment of most of the crowd, Sasuke pointed a finger at his opponent, charging up an amount of energy that most Genin didn't possess. Before Gaara could pull back and prepare another attack, Sasuke released the pent up energy, chanting, "Hadô Yonban: Byakurai."

A thick bolt of powerful energy ripped through the air, moving towards Gaara at amazing speeds. Too stunned by the technique thrown his way, Gaara did not react in time to dodge. Instead, his sand rose in a wall in front of him, shielding him from harm. As the white energy settled down, a thick barrier of sand could be seen protecting Gaara, a deep dent the only evidence it had been hit. Gaara laughed, thinking it to be his strongest attack.

"Is that it, Uchiha?" Gaara called mockingly, chuckling insanely. "Is this the extent of your power? The extent of your _hatred_?"

Scowling, Sasuke pulled his sword from its sheath at his hip, realizing that he had to get serious if he wanted to win. He brought his sword up, holding it in front of his sternum, tip pointing skyward. Eyebrows nit together in firm resolve, he said, "You are indeed strong. But before I allow you to let this strength get to your head, I must show you…the difference in our power that you cannot bridge.

"Chire," Sasuke intoned, the sword in his hand glowing a brilliant pink, "Sakuhime."

Instantly, the katana shattered into thousands of tiny blossom petals, swirling around Sasuke's form in an invisible wind. The crowd, teetering on the edges of their seats with excitement, watched in awe as the petals swept around the Uchiha in a beautiful dance. It was as if they moved by his will alone.

Gaara was wary of his opponent at first, sure the nothing good could come of such a powerful looking katana being drawn. But after he had turned the blade into a storm of cherry blossoms, Gaara was sure Sasuke had gone crazy. What were mere _petals_ going to do to him? _Bore_ him into submission?

"If you won't attack," Gaara motioned with his arms, a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes, "then _I_ will!"

In response the rising sand, the petals stopped their dance and shot forth, easily piercing through the loosely packed sand. Gaara's eyes widened greatly as the blossoms he had been sure were not but for show broke right through his sand, flying towards him before he could even throw his arms up to protect his face. A single petal struck him, drawing a thin line of blood from his cheek.

Gaara felt his eyes widen further as a warm liquid slowly dripped down his face, a look of shock etching itself on his normally stoic features. The petals, their jobs done, retracted to the Uchiha, reforming into a katana that once again rested in its sheath.

The crowd fell back down in their seats as Gaara's insane cackle echoed throughout the stadium, scaring some of the wiser spectators. Anyone who could laugh like that after being struck so easily was insane.

As his laughter died down, Gaara glared at the Uchiha with murder in his eyes, hands clasped together in front of him. With a flare of chakra, all of the sand within the arena rushed towards him, reforming into a compact sphere around Gaara. Two Suna Genin gasped as they caught sight of this, horror in their gaze.

"Jin, Saru, Hebi, Saru," Gaara chanted within the orb, hands locked in a hand seal. Sand trickled upward and formed an eyeball that stared out at Sasuke. "Jin, Saru, Tori, Tatsu…"

Sasuke scowled, glaring at the orb in front of him. Wary of this new technique, he tossed a shuriken towards his foe, watching as a spike of sand shot out from the sphere and destroyed the small throwing weapon easily. His scowl deepening, Sasuke jumped backward, flipping around until his sat comfortably on the side of the wall, arms crossed thoughtfully.

"Nezumi, Saru, Jin…"

"_I have two more aces up my sleeve,"_ Sasuke thought, staring down at the orb. _"But I don't think this situation warrants Sakuhime's true form. I guess I'll go with Kakashi's idea."_

"Nezumi, Usagi, Tora, Tori, Jin…"

Nodding to himself, Sasuke flashed through three quick hand seals, bracing his left arm with his right hand. Chakra gathered, quickly turning into a blue lightning that fizzled loudly. The sound of a thousand birds chirping filled the area as Sasuke crouched on the wall, prepared to make a fast dash.

Then, to the eyes of the roaring crowd, Sasuke became a blur as he ran full speed down the wall, a trail of destruction left in his wake. As he hit the ground, he continued forward, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris. The crowd roared even louder as Sasuke closed in on his opponent, his Sharingan allowing him to dodge the spikes that shot towards him.

"_Omae wo…"_ Sasuke thought as he closed in, thrusting his hand out, "korosu!" (I'll kill you!)

With only a fraction of resistance, Sasuke's hand cut through the barrier of sand surrounding Gaara, passing quickly through the sphere and striking the red-haired boy within. All was quiet as the crowd waited with baited breath for the result to show itself.

"What's this? This warm moisture?" Gaara's voice asked, confusion and fear running rampant. "_Blood_? Is this _my_ blood?"

An ear-splitting shriek rent the air, the cry of a dying man. The crowd slowly fell asleep, lulled by a Genjutsu cast by Sand ninja. Several Konoha Shinobi broke it easily. An explosion obscured the Kage box from view, and several ANBU were already making their way to help.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Sasuke stared at the creature that Gaara had become, disgusted and perturbed in ways that he'd never experienced before. The right side of the sand ninja's face and his entire right arm were warped beyond recognition, resembling some sort of monster more than it did a human. It was as if he was staring at a demon transforming in front of him.

Resolutely, Sasuke drew Sakuhime once more, holding it tip-down in front of his sternum. With a determined frown, he chanted, "Mugen Enbukyoku Sakuhime." (Endless Waltz of the Flower Princess)

As Sakuhime sank into the ground of the arena, the world around Sasuke and Gaara disappeared as two seemingly endless rows of swords rose up behind the Uchiha heir. Gaara watched, a growing look of shock on his face, as the swords shattered into tiny blossoms, much like the original sword that had struck him before.

Like before, most of the blossoms swirled around Sasuke in a non-existent breeze, but this time, about an eighth of them converged together to form six flowers that floated protectively around Sasuke's form. Another eighth of the petals rushed towards the Uchiha's palm, forming a pristine white nôdachi.

Sasuke's left arm shot out, pointing towards Gaara's stunned body. The petals around him stopped swirling and sped forward, rushing at their target with an amazing speed. Gaara's eyes widened further as the tiny projectiles closed in, threatening to cause him a great deal of harm. Without thinking of the consequences, Gaara held his distorted right arm up, the small blossom-like blades stopping short as they collided with the densely packed sand.

Gaara grinned as the tiny weapons sank into his arm, sure he had found a weakness in his enemy's latest skill. Sasuke smirked, Sharingan no longer in his eyes as he clenched his fist shut. The grin on Gaara's face disappeared as the blossoms spun around within his sandy arm, shredding it into tiny clumps of loose particles. Several shallow cuts had been dug into Gaara's real arm, as evidenced by the thin red lines marking up his flesh.

Gaara's crazy grin soon returned, followed by an insane cackle as the arm of sand quickly reformed, as if it had never been damaged in the first place. Sasuke's smirk fell as he realized something.

He was in deep shit.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto quickly ascended the tower towards leading to the Hokage's box, Hinata right next to him. As he felt a spike in power, he took a short glance back to Sasuke, who had revealed Sakuhime's true form. With a scowl, he paused his ascent to make a quick analysis of the battle and Sasuke's odds of winning. His scowl deepened.

"Hinata-chan," he turned to his companion, regarding her with a serious look. "I need you take down Gaara and save Sasuke while I go on to help the old man. After you're done, if you have enough energy and can get through the barrier, come join me. I have a feeling me or the old man might need your skills."

Nodding resolutely, Hinata turned to head back into the arena, only to be stopped when Naruto grabbed her arm. Looking at him curiously, her eyes widened slightly when he pecked her lovingly on the lips, cupping her cheek as he said, "Stay safe, okay?"

As soon as she nodded, he took off up the tower as she headed in the opposite direction, her goal to help Sasuke and subdue the bloodthirsty Gaara. She could not lose, and she knew that. As long as she had Naruto's faith and her Benihime, she knew she couldn't be defeated by the weakest of the tailed beasts.

Naruto glanced back at Hinata as he ascended the stadium walls, worried that she might be seriously hurt. But he had faith in her. She knew that he couldn't live without her, so she would do whatever it took to stay alive. And he knew that she was very capable of that.

As he reached the top, Naruto saw the Sound Four flashing through hand seals to put up their barrier. As soon as his feet left solid wall, Naruto flung himself forward, curling up into a ball to make himself more aerodynamic. No sooner had he passed the invisible line connecting two of the Sound Four than did the purple barrier come to life, missing him by centimeters. With a cry of "Shishienjin!" the purple translucent wall shot up.

Straightening, Naruto grinned at the shocked faces of the Sandaime Hokage and Orochimaru, a malicious gleam in his eyes, "It's been a while, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru chuckled evilly, "Ah, Naruto-kun. I never thought you'd throw yourself into my clutches so easily."

The Snake Sennin tilted his head back, arching an eyebrow arrogantly, "You see, Naruto-kun, I've figured everything out. All I have to do to defeat you…is to keep you from having the time you need to execute your…Bankai, I believe you called it."

"Oh?" Naruto pulled Zangetsu from its sheath, shoving away his disgust as Orochimaru retrieved his Kusanagi. "You _do_ want a rematch, then?"

Orochimaru smirked maliciously, "It's as if you read my mind."

Orochimaru disappeared from view, as if he'd never been there in the first place. Naruto shifted his sword, blocking a horizontal slash aimed at his back. He smirked, "I thought you learned last time, Orochimaru. _I'm_ the faster of us two."

Naruto vanished with not but a slight swoosh, only to reappear with his sword held horizontally in front of his enemy's throat. Orochimaru had dodged out of the way, chuckling, "And I thought _you_ knew, Naruto-kun. I can see your every step."

The two of them jumped apart, putting distance between themselves. Naruto held a hand out to the old Third Hokage, motioning for him to stay out of the battle. He smirked, "This is between the two of us, Ossan. He and I have a score to settle, one that is a month overdue."

Once he was sure that the elderly man wouldn't be interfering, Naruto turned his attention to the Snake Sennin, subtly gathering the Kyubi's Reiryoku, "What do you say we stop playing around and get serious, Hebi-teme?"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, "You took the words right out of my mouth, boy."

Naruto chuckled darkly, releasing the Kyubi's energy to let it flow through his body. His irises turned red as black bled into the whites of his eyes, clumps of white gathering on the side of his face, slowly forming a ghastly mask, "I'm glad you agree, Hebi-teme. I think you'll find my latest power to be quite…extraordinary."

Orochimaru frowned as Naruto's power suddenly lit up the area, nearly as strong as what he possessed when using Bankai. It was a power that dwarfed the ANBU waiting outside and surpassed most of the energy levels Orochimaru had seen in his extended life. He'd wager it was close to Itachi's.

Naruto reached up and pulled the mask over his face, obscuring all but his eyes and hair from view, the white mask a stark contrast to the black of Naruto's uniform. When he spoke, his voice was distorted and echoed, as if he were speaking through some fluid, _"__**You see, Orochimaru, unlike Gaara and Shukaku, Kyubi's power can manifest itself in many different ways. One way involves compressing it until it can do nothing but course through my body in an endless cycle.**__"_

Naruto disappeared, reappearing in front of Orochimaru, who struggled to hold up his block against Naruto's one-handed slash. He grunted as his arms groaned under the pressure, the black blade of Zangetsu inching closer and closer to his flesh, _"__**Thus, my power, speed, and strength increase nearly eight fold.**__"_

With a mighty push, Orochimaru jumped backwards, huffing as he tried to catch his breath, "Eight fold, eh? Well let's see how well you fight against your own father!"

Too shocked by the declaration, Naruto could only watch as Orochimaru went through hand seals, then cried, "Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei!" (Impure World Summoning)

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Hinata stared at the hulking form of Gaara, who had, by now, taken on the gigantic form of the Ichibi no Shukaku. She glanced up at the beast's head, then breathed a sigh of relief. Gaara was absent from the demon's skull, which meant that he was still in control of the creature's enormous form, even if he wasn't in the best state of mind.

Looking quickly over to Sasuke's panting form, she grimaced. The Uchiha heir had tried his best against Suna's prodigy, even going so far as to use the Bankai she wasn't aware he had learned, and still he hadn't made a significant mark on him. The Curse Seal was acting up, too, and had spread like wildfire over his weakened body, marring it with those tiny black blemishes.

That was something Hinata had never understood. What was the purpose of the Curse Seal, besides morphing the bearer's body beyond recognition? She knew that Orochimaru only gave it to those who were either his potential next body or his elite guard, but she'd never quite grasped the concept of mutating the human body into something grotesque and ugly, which was exactly what the Curse Seal did.

She'd never seen it before, of course, but Naruto had told her enough about it to give her a good idea about what it was and what it did. The thing she had never understood was the point behind the Curse Seal. Did it somehow effect the way the bearer thought? Did it corrupt their mind until they thought the same way as Orochimaru? That seemed likely, after she had been told what Sasuke had done at the Valley of the End back in Naruto's original timeline.

In fact, he had told her, that battle had been the whole reason Naruto had had to time travel in the first place. If Sasuke hadn't been corrupted into going towards Orochimaru, he wouldn't have left Naruto dying on the banks of the valley's river, or lake, whatever it was (Naruto had said he couldn't remember what kind of body of water it was).

Of course, right after he told her that, he admitted he was glad the original timeline had gone that way. If it hadn't been for his little bout of time travel, he would never have unlocked his Sharingan, and he probably wouldn't have fallen in love with her as he had. A lot of his maturity had come from the necessity to make changes, as well as living through life twice.

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Hinata brandished her sword, shouting out, "Now, Benihime! For the sake of our village and for the sake of the future! Bankai!"

A flash of light lit up the stadium and a wave of powerful energy quickly followed, forcing all of the combatants to pause in their brawl to look at the source. Many wondered what kind of Jounin could produce such a power, others wondered how Hinata had gotten so strong, despite witnessing her impressive battle with Shikamaru earlier.

As Hinata's visage was revealed, she didn't look any different, but her sword was another matter all together. Benihime's blade was an icy blue, the hilt wrapped in crimson cloth. The hand guard was a tri-spire counterclockwise spiral that seemed to be made of the finest gold, gleaming beautifully in the sun. It was a sword that only the richest of men could afford to buy, and it fit perfectly in the hands of the Hyuga heiress.

"Hyôteiken," Hinata said calmly, her voice neutral, "Benihime." (Frozen Imperial Sword of the Crimson Princess)

Gaara's giant form leered down at Hinata, a smirk on its monstrous mouth, "**That's it? All that and all you did was change its color? Hmph! Pathetic!**"

Jumping out of the way of a huge paw that came crashing down, Hinata flipped through one-handed seals, stopping after at least thirty of them, "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!"

A vortex of water whirled into a ball in front of Hinata, then rushed forward, coating a large portion of the giant with slick water. Despite being damp, the sand didn't fall apart like it might normally have. It darkened from its contact with moisture, but mostly seemed unaffected, as if the A-class Jutsu were not but a fly.

"**Hmph!**" the beast grunted. "**What a weak attack!**"

Before he could move to attack back, Hinata had used Shunpo to get up close to his right foreleg. Gaara's demonic eyes widened at the speed she displayed, obviously not expecting her to be so fast. From Naruto and Lee, he'd expected such amazing agility, but from this little girl with her toy sword, it was out of place.

Hinata stabbed Benihime into the leg of sand, thrusting it up to the hilt. Her eyes cold, she said, "Kare o kôraseru, Benihime." (Freeze him)

Ice spread outward from the place the katana had stabbed, creeping rapidly up the sandy arm. Before Gaara could react, the ice had engulfed his entire right foreleg and was swiftly moving toward his neck and chest. Unable to summon a fast enough response to the unexpected assault, the torso, head, and arms of the sand demon, all of which had been soaked by the Daibakufu, were soon encased in solid ice.

Pulling her weapon from the demon's body, Hinata let a smirk grace her lips, "I've heard of the 'cold shoulder', but I think this is a little overboard."

Jumping back, Hinata waited for the beast to break free, as she knew it would. Gaara would not be so easy to defeat, and Shukaku would undoubtedly be even harder to take down. She wasn't nervous, though. She wasn't even hesitant in the slightest bit. Her plan for taking down Gaara was foolproof (in other words, even _Kiba_ couldn't mess it up), and nothing would take her down.

True to her prediction, the ice statue rumbled before thick shards of frozen liquid fell to the earth, shattering as they collided with the hard ground. Just as Hinata had known, the demon broke free of its crystalline prison, tossing the bits of it all across the arena.

Hinata let another smirk cross her face as Gaara emerged from the sandy creature, waist deep in the beast's head. The entirety of her plan had not been to freeze Gaara with her last attack, but to force him into releasing Shukaku by showing him that she wasn't one to be fooled with. It had worked perfectly, even down to how much time she'd predicted it would take for him to break out.

Gaara glared, hands in a seal, "Ninpou: Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu."

As soon as the sand boy's body had slumped, a raucous shout leapt from the ugly maw of the beast below him. It was a yell of excitement as the demon chattered on about its latest prey and how it would spray Hinata's guts all over the stadium, right before it went after Naruto.

Dashing forward, Hinata cut into the sand again, freezing a large portion of the beast's leg, only for it to break free again. Weaving in between the colossal limbs, she cut into the sand many times, leading the beast into a false sense of confidence as she moved into position to finish her plan.

While the demon cried howls of jubilant superiority, Hinata flashed through hand seals while she stood beneath its massive belly. The number of seals she went through were numerous and, while her chakra was quickly draining, her Reiryoku remained undented and untouched.

Hinata stopped on the bird seal, water weaving its way around her form, twisting into a specific shape. Confidently, she cried, "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

As the dragon of water tore itself through Shukaku's stomach, soaking the majority of the beast's sand, Hinata rushed through the hole that had formed. As she landed on its back, she stabbed her sword into the drenched sand, saying, "Kare o kôraseru, Benihime." (Freeze him)

Quickly and before the demon could counteract it, ice engulfed the gigantic creature until the only thing unfrozen was the sleeping Gaara. Knowing her time was short, Hinata leapt to the crown of the demon's head, landing a solid blow against the host. As Gaara fell toward the ground and Hinata landed beside him, the ice cracked and shattered, leaving the tiny remains to melt.

Gaara gasped fearfully as Hinata walked up to him, sword still drawn, "St-stay away! My existence will not end!"

Gaara could only stare as Hinata's katana became embedded in the ground next to his face, Bankai dissolving into nothing. He stared at her, unable to understand how she had beaten him so easily, as if he were a mere academy student. And, what was more, she was moving him _out of harm's way_.

Voice hoarse, he asked, "H-how? H-how are you…so strong?"

Hinata smiled at him, sheathing Benihime effortlessly, "I am strong because I am protecting those I would call family. Naruto-kun believes in me, and I won't fail him."

She moved to leave, then smiled at him, "Naruto-kun used to suffer much the same as you did, for the same reason as you did. Now, he has me and his friends. He's not alone anymore."

As she turned and dashed towards the purple barrier, Gaara silently contemplated her words. Strong…because she was protecting her family. Strong…because Naruto believed in her.

"_Is that what it means?"_ he asked himself. _"She is strong because she fights to protect her precious ones. Is that what true strength is?…Yashamaru…is this what you meant?"_

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Ichigo fidgeted uneasily as Naruto's Reiatsu spiked in a way that signified his accessing hollow powers. If Naruto had to use his inner demon's strength, then the opponent must be strong. Even during spars with Ichigo, Naruto had never pulled on his hollow mask. He'd never gone past Bankai, despite the fact that he never beat Ichigo.

Ichigo bit his lip, hand clenched around his sword's hilt. He knew the rules. They weren't supposed to get involved with the affairs of humans, not unless specifically ordered otherwise. It was part of the Seireitei laws, and it was why most captain and vice captain level Shinigami had their powers cut by eighty percent when they visited the real world.

Of course, Ichigo and Rukia had not had those limits imposed on them. The whole purpose of Ichigo's descent to Ningenkai, the world of the living, had been to teach Naruto to properly use a Zanpakutô. If his powers had been limited, he wouldn't be able to do that quite so well.

Then there was Rukia. Limited down to twenty percent, she would have been unable to teach Naruto the higher level Kidô. Part of training Naruto had been to prepare him for when he died. Most Shinigami relied just as much on Kidô as they did their Zanpakutô. In order to make Naruto an efficient Shinigami, he had to know Kidô.

The reason behind training the blonde so thoroughly was so that he would be ready to join the thirteen Court Guard Divisions the moment he died. Being one of the few people to possess a Zanpakutô while he was still living, Naruto would make an amazing asset to the Shinigami Corps, _if_ he were sufficiently trained.

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched. He had intended not to get attached to his pupil for the exact same reason he had not promised (originally) to help people against hollows no matter what. He didn't want to make any promises. He didn't want to feel this urge he was fighting against right at the moment. He didn't want to fight the urge to help.

Ichigo's grip tightened. He _wanted_ to go help. He was sitting there, hand grasping his sword, just _waiting_ for the invasion to end. Seireitei laws prevented him from jumping into the fray and cutting up some of the cannon fodder. Seireitei laws prevented him from helping those in need as long as hollows and rogue Shinigami weren't involved.

But, damn it, that didn't mean he had to like it.

Ichigo growled and made to stand and help. Rukia's voice stopped him.

"I know how much you want to help them, Ichigo, but this isn't our battle to fight. We must not interfere!"

Ichigo growled exasperatedly, "I know, damn it!"

Rukia put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I want to help them as much as you do, Ichigo. But the laws prevent us from doing anything at all. This _isn't_ our fight."

She pulled him back towards the ground in a tender hug, her voice soft, "I know you worry about them, Ichigo, but they can handle themselves."

"But!" Ichigo hissed. "Naruto—!"

"— is fine," Rukia finished for him. "If he uses Bankai, then we have the authority to help. Until then, we can assume that he's not in any trouble."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto blinked as he took in the form of the surprised Fourth Hokage, along with the solemn First and Second Hokage. The white mask threatened to crumble as his grasp on his hollow powers wavered, his shock soon replaced with an overwhelming amusement. He laughed.

And he laughed. His free hand pressed up against the skull like mask, he threw his head back and laughed. And then, as the laugh died to a chuckle, he addressed Orochimaru's stunned form, "_**You don't get it, do you? You just gave Konoha back its Fourth Hokage!**_"

Orochimaru smirked, chuckling lightly, "You don't understand, Naruto-kun, he's under _my_ control!"

Naruto laughed again, his distorted voice echoing across the stadium, "_**You fool! You can only control those whose souls are not ensnared in a contract with the Shinigami! My old man doesn't fit into that category! With this new Jutsu of yours, you've nearly voided that contract!**_"

Naruto leered at Orochimaru, "_**All I need to do to free him of your Jutsu and of that contract…is alter his DNA.**_"

Orochimaru stared for a second, then laughed a full blown laugh, "Alter his DNA? Haha! Not even the great Tsunade can do that!"

Naruto smirked beneath his mask, "_**Yeah, but Tsunade doesn't have youki, does she?**__"_

Naruto looked up as the Snake Sennin's eyes widened, staring up through the roof of the barrier. There, falling freely towards the translucent ceiling, was Hinata, going through a chant that echoed over the tower, "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hadô Rokujuusan: Raikōhō!" (Path or Destruction Sixty Three: Thunder Roar Cannon)

A blast of yellow energy collided with the purple energy, creating a large opening that quickly began to close. Hinata fell through it, righting herself until she landed next to Naruto, a firm stare on her face. She grasped the hilt of her sword, her eyes staring a hole into Orochimaru's.

After glancing at the second blonde on the building, she looked over at Naruto, "Is he…?"

"Yup," Naruto nodded, sliding his mask to the side, his voice returning to normal. "As he is now, he's bound not only to his contract with the Shinigami, but he's bound by the limitations of Orochimaru's Jutsu."

Byakugan coming to life, Hinata took a glance at the Yondaime, then turned her attention back to Naruto, "So, how do we…?"

"Simple, Hinata-chan, and I'm sure it already crossed your mind," Naruto said, grinning, "we alter his body on a genetic level, to the point where it's nearly identical to his original body, using youki and your medic ninjutsu."

"I thought so," Hinata said quietly, keeping her voice low so as to prevent Orochimaru from hearing.

"Old man," Naruto addressed the Sandaime, "we need you to stall the other three for a minute. Dad and I are gonna have a family reunion."

Sandaime nodded, "Alright, Naruto-kun."

To the sound of some silent signal, the three leaf ninja took off, Sarutobi to occupy the attention of Orochimaru and the first two Hokage and Naruto and Hinata off to help the Yondaime.

Naruto tuned out the sound of fighting as he came upon the confused form of his father. Beside him, Hinata started going through hand seals, preparing the necessary Jutsu. The Fourth, however, wasn't as cooperative.

"What's going on here?" he asked, bewildered. "One minute, I'm standing there, the next, I'm back to life! Naruto, what's happening?"

"Can't talk, Dad," Naruto said quickly, gathering the demon's youki without using the mask's function. "This is going to hurt."

Simultaneously, Naruto and Hinata slammed their hands into the Fourth's chest, watching as his face went from surprised to pained. His mouth opened in a silent scream, but no sound burst forth from his lungs as the sensitive tissue was reconstructed to match the elder Kazama's genetic structure.

Various colors lit up around Arashi's body, reds, yellows, greens, blues, and many more. As the youki and medic Jutsu went to work, reconstructing his body almost to its original form, silvery goop, the result of Orochimaru's Edo Tensei, oozed from his mouth and nose. Naruto had to resist the bile that threatened to churn up as he kept his focus on his task. This was important. He couldn't let up just because of something he saw.

Finally, after several minutes, the colorful aura died down and the fourth collapsed, unconscious. The last thing he saw before blackness covered his vision was Naruto grinning like he was the luckiest guy on earth. Then, nothing.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

_Arashi stared down at his six-year-old son, a sad smile on his face. Slowly, he reached out and ran his ghostly fingers through the sleeping boy's blonde hair, wishing that he were corporeal. If he had a real form, a living, breathing form, he might be able to treat his son the way he wanted. But, alas, he had traded his life to save the entirety of Konoha from destruction._

_Arashi, known to most as the Yondaime Hokage, or Konoha's Yellow Flash, had made a deal with a Shinigami in order to save his beloved village. He had sacrificed his life to seal away the Kyubi no Youko into his own son, thereby saving the Leaf Village from being flattened to the ground and utterly destroyed._

_That deal was also something he regretted every second of his afterlife. _

_He had sacrificed himself, sealed the beast inside his son, who was destined for power and strength anyway, and he had asked something rather simple in return: treat his son Naruto like the hero he was for housing the beast. Simple, no? Yes, very simple. It was a simple request that he'd asked of the people of Konoha. He thought he could trust them enough to believe in his sealing abilities and to realize that his son had saved them all._

_His wife had always said he was an optimistic fool. Being an Uchiha and gifted with great powers of perception, she was usually right about stuff like that. But had he listened? No. He'd chosen to believe the villagers would have faith in his seal and treat Naruto like he deserved to be treated. He _really_ should have listened to Yuki. If he had paid attention to her words about his optimism, then, even after she had died in childbirth, he would have realized that the villagers wouldn't have treated Naruto right._

_Although he had given his mortal life in exchange for the sealing, he still had his afterlife left with which to spend. Or rather, he would have, had he not signed a deal with the orange-haired Shinigami who called himself Ichigo. _

_Shortly after dying, only two years, in fact, Arashi decided that simple reports weren't enough to satisfy his need to know that his son was okay. Since he had signed his original deal with Ichigo, he'd been sleeping in the Division Five barracks within Seireitei. Although his afterlife was boring, he had no real desire to enter the Shinigami Academy and join the ranks of the Shinigami._

_So, after coming to a decision, he strengthened his resolve and went to make a deal with Ichigo. It had taken some negotiation and compromise, but, eventually, Arashi got some semblance of what he wanted. Every October tenth, on Naruto's birthday, he got to visit the human world and see Naruto for a whole forty-eight hours. In exchange, he had to do half of the Fifth Division's paperwork._

_Of course, what Arashi never realized was that, if he managed to get the right kind of gigai (artificial body), he could go back to living his life as a father (ninja wouldn't work because he wouldn't have chakra), simply because he'd offered his mortal life while in _his own body_. Since the gigai wasn't his original body, with his DNA and everything, he could technically live in the real world._

_Even if Arashi never realized this loophole, someone eventually would._

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Gripping his sword tightly, Naruto turned back towards the struggling old man as he fought the two previous Hokage and his wayward student. Grasping his mask, Naruto sensed Hinata preparing herself for their next move. His tone serious, he said, "You handle the Nidaime and I'll handle the Shodai. Since they have been resurrected this way, they should be more susceptible to our Zanpakutô."

Hinata nodded, "And we can't revive them because their souls have already moved on and found peace. To bind them to life again…would be cruel."

Naruto smiled, "Just as astute as ever, Hinata-chan."

In a flash, they disappeared, reappearing amongst the combatants slowly making their way across the roof. Hinata's Benihime carved a deep cut in the Nidaime's shoulder armor as he dodged, face expressionless, out of the way of her attack. He seemed unconcerned by just how close a Genin had gotten to injuring him.

Like his successor, Shodai dodged away from Naruto's slash, only suffering from a shallow cut to his cheek. Several locks of hair fell away, severed from the silky mane of black that fell around the First Hokage's head. Much like the Nidaime, Shodai didn't seem at all distressed by the fact that Naruto could inflict damage to him. A small stream of blood trickled down his face.

Sarutobi locked blades with Orochimaru's Kusanagi, a small wakizashi in his hand. Scowling, Sandaime threw all of his strength behind his blade, pushing against the amazingly resilient steel of the Grass Cutter. With a grunt, the Third took a step forward, shoving Orochimaru back several feet. Glaring at the Snake Sennin, Sandaime's grip on his small weapon tightened.

With a burst of speed, Naruto sliced another cut into the body of the Shodai Hokage, this time on his upper right biceps. The undead man had dodged yet again, showing surprising agility for the Hokage who had been famous for Mokuton Jutsu. Naruto, having read all about the Shodai during his days at the Academy, had thought that the Yondaime was the only really fast one.

Suddenly pulling his mask back on, Naruto's speed increased dramatically, to the point where the Shodai couldn't keep up. Before the First Hokage could even consider trying to defend himself, Naruto's black katana came up and sliced into his flesh without pausing in hesitation. With the force of Inertia, the Shodai's head flew from his body, dissolving into the silvery mush that had transformed the dead body of Orochimaru's murdered pawn.

Hinata shifted to the side of a small (by comparison to the one she used against Gaara) Suiryuudan, cutting into it with her fully released sword. Instantly, the dragon froze, falling to the ground and shattering against the tiles. Even as the Nidaime began the hand seals, Hinata began the chant for one of her Kidô.

"Ruler!" She cried, shifting out of the path of another water dragon. "Mask of blood and flesh, all things of the universe fly, that which names all. Gathering of heat and war, beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south. Hadô Sanjuuichi: Shakkahô!" (Path of Destruction Thirty-one: Red Flame Cannon)

A ball of flaming red Reiryoku flew from her hands, colliding with the Nidaime Hokage. As the smoke cleared from the white-haired man's face, a supernatural katana pierced his flesh, slicing through where his heart would have been were he still alive. Slowly, he dissolved into the dead body of Zaku Abumi, a puddle of silver mush surrounding his corpse.

Sarutobi pulled his blade backward, gathering all the energy he dared in his old age. Thrusting it forward, he cried, "Ikorose, Shinsô!" (Shoot him dead, Divine Spear)

Like elastic, the small blade of the wakizashi lengthened and shot forth at amazing speeds. Gasping, Orochimaru stumbled backwards, the rapidly moving sword blade nicking his chin as it continued onward and into the barrier Jutsu behind him. It punched through the purple chakra, then retracted, the hole it created repairing itself immediately. The Snake Sennin stared. He'd _never_ seen his sensei use that.

"Bakudô!" a female voice called, startling him out of his shock. "Kyûjûkyû: Bubun Ichi: Kin!" (Path of Binding Ninety-nine: Part One: Seal)

His sword flung from his grip as his arms snapped backward, bound by leather-like strips and kept straight by iron rods. Before he could do more than tug futilely at his bonds, Hinata's voice filled his ears again, "Bakudô Kyûjûkyû: Bubun Ni: Bankin: Shokyoku: Shiryū!" (Path of Binding Ninety-nine: Part Two: Great Seal: First Song: Halting Fabric)

White cloth wrapped around his body fully, obscuring his features from view as the Hyuga girl continued her chant, "Nikyoku: Hyakurensan!" (Second Song: Hundred Linked Bolts)

Hundreds of needles appeared from nowhere and closed in on his form, piercing through the fabric and hitting several pressure points. Orochimaru screamed in agony, his voice muffled by the cloth binding him and holding him prisoner. Blood seeped from the tiny punctures, soaking the fabric in several places.

Then came Naruto's distorted voice, and Orochimaru felt dread slide down his throat at the words directed his way, "_**Hadô Kyûjû: Kurohitsugi.**_" (Path of Destruction Ninety: Black Coffin)

A great black box appeared in the sky above him, falling down and around his form. It blocked any form of sight he might have had, surrounding him in a see of darkness. He was confused when he found the box of energy to be hollow, but was forced to ignore his confusion as the box's true power was revealed.

Several wide shafts pulled back from the box until it looked like they were swords whose tip was barely poking it. Then those shafts, numerous in quantity, plunged back into the box, skewering anything that might be inside. Orochimaru's tortured screams echoed throughout the stadium.

As the black box faded from view, its purpose complete, so did Naruto's mask dissolve into thin air, evaporating like water in the desert, leaving him looking normal again. His eyes were once more a beautiful azure blue, their surroundings once more a pristine white. His voice was human again and the distortion had vanished, as if it had never existed to begin with.

Naruto heard several gasps, some belonging to the ANBU outside the barrier and some belonging to the Sound Four, as the battered form of the Snake Sennin was revealed to the world. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hinata cringe at the sight she saw, and had to agree, were he of weaker stomach, he would have been cringing as well.

The white cloth that had wrapped around his form was torn and nearly gone. The bindings from Hinata's spell were demolished and broken, freeing the man's arms, or what was left of them. Several deep gashes littered his body, each of them streaming blood in an unstoppable flow. The pale man panted uneasily, as though breathing was painful. Hinata nearly flinched as she caught sight of the bloody stumps that had replaced his hands. She was too kind, Naruto knew, not to feel some measure of sympathy. It was one of the things he loved about her.

Tired and gravely injured, Orochimaru collapsed onto the tile roof, unconscious. No sooner had he fallen than did the purple barrier follow, the Sound Four picking up their master and fleeing from sight. Any ANBU that followed was effortlessly knocked back, their attempts futile.

Naruto took a good look around himself, taking in the sights of the damaged but still standing Konoha, his father, Sandaime, and the worried eyes of Hinata, then he fell flat on his face, unconscious from exhaustion. A crisis had been averted, he deserved a little rest.

Smiling, Hinata kneeled down to pick up her Naruto-kun, stifling a yawn herself. They had accomplished a great deal, even if it may not have seemed like it. Her father, she knew, would yell at her for being so reckless as to endanger her own life the way she had. Then, he'd smile and tell her how proud he was that she had fought alongside the Sandaime and come out with barely a scratch.

She shook her head as one of the ANBU moved to help her pick Naruto up. She appreciated the gesture, but there were so many others who needed more help than Naruto. All he needed was a little sleep and long rest. He'd have regained most of his chakra by that time and would get to spend time with his father after so long. After how long he had gone without a family, he'd finally get to see his dad again.

She glanced up at the bright sun and smiled.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Next time…

"_Finally, I have a family again. After all this time alone, I have a dad to live with."— Naruto_

"_This is it. The first day of the rest of our lives. Konoha is safe and sound, and Sarutobi-sama is fine." — Hinata_

"_It's good to know that some of my changes finally did some good. Hinata-chan…I look forward to our future together."— Naruto_

"_**Peace has finally returned. Hmph. Don't get used to it. The best laid plans of mice and men…" **__— Kyubi_

"_This is it, then. We've taught them everything we could. It's time to go, Ichigo." — Rukia_

"_Damn it! Ugh! This Curse Mark…this Curse Mark hurts!" — Sasuke_

"_**Now, without his servant, Orochimaru will have to do things differently. Yes, this makes things all that much easier." **__— Kyubi_

"_Orochimaru…you won't escape this time. You were lucky. If it hadn't been for your little group of girl scouts, you would've bled to death." — Naruto_

"_Heh, heh, Tsunade! I have a very interesting offer for you. All you have to do is heal the damage done to my body." — Orochimaru_

"_I'm afraid I have to decline. After how the village has treated Naruto…I can't be Hokage anymore." — Yondaime_

"_I'm getting too old for this. I'm afraid I have to name a successor, or the next attack could very well end my life."—Sandaime_

_Naruto's brought down one of the biggest threats Konoha has ever faced! But, by sheer stroke of luck, Orochimaru survived that lethal Hadô. Now, he's going after Tsunade to heal his horrible wounds. But Konoha is sending its own envoy to the Legendary Sucker. With the Sandaime stepping down, and the Fourth unwilling to lead the ungrateful Konoha, Tsunade is the only one capable._

_Despite the great victory over the Sand/Sound allied invasion, not all is well with Konoha. Sasuke seems to have some…problems controlling the Curse Seal. Desperate to calm it down, he may just do something he might regret later. After all, who better to teach him control of the Curse Mark than the one who gave it to him?_

_Next time, "The Aftermath: Sarutobi Steps Down." _

** — o.0.O.O.0.o —   
A/N Chapter Eight up! Chapter Nine: in progress! Chapter ten: in planning stages!**

**Sorry this took so long to get out. I just didn't have much inspiration. I'd start it, then my inspiration would run dry a few minutes later. That, and I had trouble uploading it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, (Dot) Hack, or Bleach**

**There will be ten, maybe eleven or twelve, chapters to this story.**

**Those of you out there who are good artists and have posted art based on this story on a website, I would greatly appreciate it if you sent me the link in a PM. Those of you talented artists out there who have yet to do the above, I ask you, politely, to do so. Fanart is very much appreciated, especially if I get to see it and put the links in my profile. Be warned. I will post my own art and set the links up for it. They may not be in color, but I happen to like them. (Note: Links must be sent in this format: http/www DOT deviantart DOT com / deviation / 12345678) If you can't send it via PM, send it to zero (underscore) no (underscore) miburo (at) yahoo (dot) com.**

**Ten points and a cookie to whomever can guess where the song at the top came from!**

**The release of Chapter Nine…er, I'm not sure about when that'll be. I need the inspiration to write it first. And reviews.**

**Bankai:**_ Mugen Enbukyoku Sakuhime (Endless Waltz of the Flower Princess): Much like Byakuya's Bankai, and the second stage of Naruto's Bankai, Sasuke drops his sword, which then sinks into the ground. Two rows of one thousand swords appear behind him, then break apart into tiny blossoms, much like Sakuhime's Shikai. The majority of these blossoms follow Sasuke's will, but several of them combine together to form flowers that fire beams of energy at the opponent, either to injure or to distract the enemy. Depending on Sasuke's desire, some may form into a pure white nôdachi for close range battle._

_Hyôteiken Benihime (Frozen Imperial Sword of the Crimson Princess): Much like Ichigo's and Naruto's Bankai, this one is notoriously small in comparison to the others. It is also one of the most powerful Ice-based Zanpakutô in existence, mainly because Hinata's chakra nature leans towards water, even if she is incapable of Hyôton Jutsu regularly. Benihime becomes an icy blue katana with a hilt wrapped in crimson cloth, the hand guard a reverse of the one on Naruto's Bankai. In this form, Benihime's blade freezes any solid or liquid it touches, as well as certain types of condensed gases, with the slightest bit of contact. Even in this form, Benihime can generate the Blood Mist Shield. Knowledge of this Bankai is, as of yet, incomplete._

**Bakudō**:  
Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudō Number Nine: Geki! (Path of Binding: Hit)

Bakudô Ichiban: Sai (Path of Binding Number One: Restrain)

Bakudô Kyûjûkyû: Bubun Ichi: Kin (Path of Binding Ninety-nine: Part One: Seal)

Bakudô Kyûjûkyû: Bubun Ni: Bankin: Shokyoku: Shiryū; (Path of Binding Ninety-nine: Part Two: Great Seal: First Song: Halting Fabric)

Nikyoku: Hyakurensan (Second Song: Hundred Linked Bolts)

Shūkyoku: Bankin Taihō (Final Song: Great Seal of Ten Thousand Forbiddings)

**Hadō**:  
Hadō Number Four: Byakurai (Path of Destruction: White Lightning)

Ruler, Mask of blood and flesh, all things of the universe fly, that which names all. Gathering of heat and war, beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south. Hadô Sanjuuichi: Shakkahô (Path of Destruction Thirty-one: Red Flame Cannon)

Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hadô Rokujuusan: Raikōhō (Path or Destruction Sixty Three: Thunder Roar Cannon)

Hadô Kyûjû: Kurohitsugi (Path of Destruction Ninety: Black Coffin)

_**The Forbidden Fruit tastes so sweet only because it is forbidden…**_

**James Daniel Godric Fawkes**

_James Daniel Godric Fawkes_**(Signature best viewed in **_**Wendy Medium**_** font style)**


	9. Aftermath: Sarutobi Steps Down

_When you walk away,  
You don't here me say Please  
Oh baby, don't go  
Simple and Clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight  
It's hard to let it go_

_You're telling me too many things  
Lately You're all I need  
Don't go  
You smiled at me, and Said,_

"_Don't get me wrong, I love you,  
But does that mean I have to meet Your Father  
When we are older you'll understand  
What I meant when I said 'No,  
I don't think life is quite that simple'"_

_When you walk away,  
You don't here me say Please  
Oh baby, don't go  
Simple and Clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight  
It's hard to let it go_

_Hold me. Whatever lies beyond this morning,  
is a little later on  
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all  
Nothing's like before_

_When you walk away,  
You don't here me say Please  
Oh baby, don't go  
Simple and Clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight  
It's hard to let it go_

_**Simple and Clean, **__by __**Utada Hikaru**_

Arashi sat at his son's bedside, sorrowful blue eyes taking in Naruto's sleeping form. Hinata sat next to him, head resting on the side of Naruto's bed, eyes closed. She'd fallen asleep sitting where she was, waiting for Naruto to wake up from his prolonged sleep. Arashi smiled, glad that his son had someone so dedicated to him. Someone who loved him so deeply as to never leave his side.

It'd been two days, if Arashi's memory held true. It'd been two days since that fateful battle atop the Hokage box at the Chûnin Exams. Two days since Naruto had collapsed in exhaustion, his chakra spent and his Reiryoku dangerously low. Was he anyone else he would definitely be out for a whole week, unable to move at all after using so much energy. But Arashi knew better.

Naruto was too resilient and powerful to be unconscious for a whole week. If Arashi knew his son as well as he thought he did, Naruto would be back on his feet tomorrow, eager to get to training or something like that. Then, he'd probably grab Hinata and his older brother figure, Iruka, and drag them to eat at Ichiraku's Ramen stand. There, he'd order twenty-two bowls of miso ramen and one bowl of chicken ramen, the chicken ramen being for Hinata.

Arashi smiled. After that, Naruto would probably take Hinata somewhere else and buy her favorite treat (cinnamon rolls, if he remembered correctly). He'd hand it to her with a wide smile and tell her that she deserved it, after all the hard work she did. She'd blush and thank him, smiling shyly.

Arashi glanced out the window at the village, watching as the sunset painted the buildings in all sorts of reds, oranges, and yellows. In an instant, his lips twisted into a dark frown, his brow knitting together in anger. That's probably what Naruto would do, if he could get around the village without having stones and curses thrown at him.

Briefly, the Fourth glanced towards Naruto's stomach, where the seal that held the Kyubi laid, keeping the beastly fox at bay. He'd given his life to seal the demon within his own son, thinking that his precious village would heed his last wish and treat Naruto like a hero for saving them. He'd sacrificed his soul with his only regret being that he wouldn't be around for Naruto. He had, essentially, killed himself without hesitation, saving his beloved village.

That decision was something he deeply regretted, now.

His last wish had been simple. His last wish had been easy to follow and was, in no way, ambiguous: treat Naruto like the hero he was for containing the nine-tailed demon fox. It was simple, it was clear, it was easy to understand. But they hadn't followed it. They hadn't even paid attention to his last request. They had _disregarded_ it without a second thought. And he _hated_ them for it.

Of course, not _all _of them were bad, but he could the good ones on the fingers of one hand. Without using his mental capacity or solving it on a piece of paper, he could count the number of people who had acknowledged his last wish and followed it, and a couple of those people didn't even know about the Kyubi. It made him sick, but he could name those people easily.

Hinata was number one. Without regard to her family's prejudice and hatred, without regard to what the village might think of her because of it, Hinata had shown Naruto love. She'd shown him what it meant to love and be loved and she showed him that she didn't care about the Kyubi. She loved him unconditionally, not at all attracted to him for being the son of the Fourth Hokage, and not at all deterred by the presence of the demon fox. For that, she was Number One in his book of people who cared for Naruto.

Iruka was number two. Umino Iruka was one of the first people to acknowledge Naruto as a human being instead of the demon, and he was one of the only people who didn't scorn Naruto for being the fox's host. He treated Naruto fairly, giving him the love only an older brother could give. For that, Iruka held Number Two in his list of people who cared for Naruto.

Sarutobi was number three. As the first person to uphold Arashi's last wish, and the first person to treat Naruto the way he deserved to be treated, Sarutobi held the Number Three position. He'd done all he could to give Naruto a fair and average life, even going so far as to make mention of the truth of the demon fox's death an S-class secret punishable by death. For all of this, for treating Naruto like a grandson, he held Number Three in Arashi's list of people who cared for Naruto.

Kakashi was number four. While he may not have been the nicest person to Naruto, no one could really blame him. Kakashi was pained by the fact that Naruto was similar to Obito, so he tried to keep his distance from his blonde student. But other than that, Kakashi treated Naruto the way he did based on _Naruto's_ achievements, not the evils the fox had committed, and for that, Kakashi held Number Four in the Yondaime's list of people who cared for Naruto.

Shino was number five. Aburame Shino may not have been especially nice to Naruto, but he had disregarded the hatred the adults held for Naruto and judged the boy based upon his own personality. That, and he had helped keep Kiba from interrupting Naruto and Hinata's relationship. For that, Shino held Number Five in his list of people who cared for Naruto.

Arashi stared down at the fingers he'd used to count the people who cared for Naruto, an uneasy feeling rising in his stomach. He could count the people who cared for Naruto on one hand, and it made him sick. Such blatant disregard for his last wish, and he had sacrificed himself to save all of these people.

He knew that Sarutobi was going to step down, and the old man had every right to. He was getting old and would pass away within the next ten or so years. He had every right to enjoy the time he had left. Arashi also knew that the first person the council would come to about being Hokage would be him, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to accept it with a clear conscience.

So who did that leave? He wondered. There was always Jiraiya, and he'd heard that the old man had fended off several of the summoned snakes during the invasion, but the Gama Sennin would no doubt reject the offer. Jiraiya was a man who liked to travel, especially to go 'information gathering', as he liked to call it. He'd be too busy wandering to be Hokage. That left Tsunade, and who knew where she was.

He frowned. Tsunade would be the only one they could hope to have as Hokage, because he and Jiraiya weren't willing. But, from what he heard, Orochimaru would be after the Slug Sennin as well because he'd suffered such severe wounds. With his hands gone, Orochimaru would seek out the only one who had any hope of helping him get them back, and that was Tsunade, his old teammate.

The door opened and Arashi heard some low humming as a man walked in through the doorway. The footsteps that had followed suddenly stopped about four feet from him, and he turned around to regard the silver-haired Jounin that had come to visit Naruto. He smiled.

Kakashi was staring at him with a stupefied surprise, his one visible eye wide open. The book in his hand was quivering and looked as if it would drop any second. The basket of fruits that he'd brought along with him had already fallen to the ground. Stuttering, Kakashi said, "S-sensei, I-I…"

His smile widening a bit, Arashi said, "Hello, Kakashi."

**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce  
By: **James D. Fawkes

"_Do you not wish to know the truth?"_

**Chapter Nine: The Aftermath: Sarutobi Steps Down  
— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

Sarutobi's face remained drawn into a tight frown, despite the stupefied mutterings of the council. He remained firm, both in his decision and in his position on the nominations for Hokage. He knew Arashi well enough to know that the man would be too upset with the village to take up the mantle again, and Jiraiya was too busy wandering.

So, he was going to take it upon himself to nominate Tsunade, as she was the only one capable of being Hokage. Sure, Naruto could probably fill the position, he had the raw power, skills, and intelligence to be Hokage, but he was still a mere Chûnin, and no one would respect him. The council would do whatever they could to undermine his authority as well, so having Naruto as the village leader wasn't the best idea at the moment.

"Hokage-sama!" one of the council members cried loudly, standing up. "Surely you are not going to go through with this!"

"We are too vulnerable!" another called out. "We need your guidance in this time of war, Hokage-sama!"

Others added in their own comments, mixing their words into an incoherent blend of sounds. Solemnly, Sarutobi held up his hands imperiously and all fell silent, "I have not been more serious since the night of the nine-tail's defeat. This recent battle with my wayward student has opened my eyes to the truth: I am simply too old."

Sandaime held up his hands again as the council threatened to burst into loud speech again, "Many of you will question the wisdom of stepping down, but I assure you that I already have my successor planned out."

Despite his attempts to keep them quiet, the council erupted into talk again.

"Is Yondaime-sama returning to office?"

"Has the Fourth decided to take back his position as Hokage?"

Many more questions of similar nature called out at him, but he merely raised his hands again and leaked out a small bit of killing intent. Instantly, the entire room lapsed back into silence, "No, the Fourth has not decided to reclaim his previous title."

A few council members cried out in indignation, angry that the Fourth was shirking his duties and his responsibilities as Hokage. They were short lived, as no one dared to truly interrupt the Third's speech. Nodding, Sarutobi continued his voice solemn, "You may be scandalized by his decision to remain a Jounin, but I have to say that the village brought this upon itself."

Cries of outrage met this proclamation, several members shouting about how ridiculous the notion was. They yelled about how the village hadn't changed since the Fourth had died, therefore there was no reason for him to deny being reinstated as Hokage. Sandaime felt his ire rise.

"Enough!" he raised his voice. "You claim that the village has not changed, and that there is no reason why should not be Hokage. But you all have forgotten!"

He leaned forward, glaring at them angrily, "The man sacrificed himself to save our village. All he asks is that you treat the child he sealed the demon into as a hero. All he asks is that you treat _his son_ as a hero for holding the demon back."

His voice lowered to a dangerous whisper, "And what do you do? You and the entire village decide that the Fourth's last wish is meaningless, and that he hasn't the skills to seal the demon away without the beast affecting its host! You treat his _son_ as if he has the plague! THAT is the thanks you gave to him!"

Gathering himself up again and restraining his anger, Sarutobi addressed the shocked faces of the council, his voice calm again, "Effective immediately, I resign my post as Hokage, and designate my pupil, Tsunade, as the Godaime Hokage. How you contact her is your business, and I won't interfere with it."

Turning around, Sarutobi ignored the stunned silence and walked towards the door.

Those fools. Sandaime couldn't help but feel contempt for the council. They dared to demand things of the Hokage, and they _dared _to demand that Arashi return to his position? Such fools they were. Sarutobi suspected that Arashi wouldn't be as forgiving as the council hoped he would be. After all, Naruto had been stunted rather spectacularly during his Academy years.

Sarutobi felt a bit of anxiety in his old bones. When Naruto took office, he had no doubt that the blonde would change the village for the better. Under Naruto's guidance, Konoha would flourish and bloom into an amazing place.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Zangetsu stared down at the spread-eagled form of Naruto, the blonde's eyes closed. Zangetsu never smiled, not even as he spoke to the boy fondly, "It's been a while since you've been here, Naruto."

Naruto peeked his eyes open, then closed them, a smile on his lips, "It's good to see you too, Zangetsu."

Zangetsu walked up and sat next to Naruto, resting an arm on one of his knees, "I wonder, Naruto. Just how well do you know your Zanpakutô?"

Naruto frowned, cracking open a single blue eye, "What do you mean, Zangetsu? I have achieved Shikai and Bankai, I borrow your power in every single one of my fights, I know your name, and the place you live in. I know all of the abilities you possess, including your most powerful. What more is there for me to know, besides your shoe size?"

Zangetsu chuckled a little at the last bit, "Despite all that you know, Naruto, there is still one thing you are unaware of. Do you know why I shift from nôdachi, to ninjatô, to katana? Do you know why I was able to mimic Benihime's Chigasumi no Tate (Blood Mist Shield)?"

Still frowning, Naruto shook his head, answering, "No, I don't."

Zangetsu nodded, "That is because I have never told you why. You see, Naruto, I am a part of your soul, and you know this. However, when my abilities manifested, they were designed to fit your body. Since your Sharingan was and still is a major part of your physical composition, my strongest power was the ability to mimic other swords, be they katana or Zanpakutô."

"You mean," Naruto started, a small bit of amazement in his voice, "I could—"

"No," Zangetsu told him, cutting off the question. "While I am capable of copying their shapes and abilities, I must remain in one piece. I could copy Shinsô's ability to lengthen incredible distances, but I cannot copy Sakuhime's ability to break into a thousand pieces. As long as I remain in one piece, it is feasible."

"So," Naruto began, "you could shift from katana to nôdachi and back right in the middle of a fight?"

"Yes," Zangetsu answered. "Just as I could transform from wakizashi to scythe right before Orochimaru's eyes."

Naruto face darkened, his voice low and angry, "Orochimaru…"

"He is named after the legendary Yamata no Orochi, the Eight-headed snake," Zangetsu said. "Perhaps, then, you must cut off all eight of his heads in order to kill him."

"Maybe you're right."

"Maybe I'm not," Zangetsu replied. "You must think of all possibilities in order to annihilate such an opponent as him. For now, I have a power I'd like you to learn, one that I have gained from your Hollow side."

Naruto grinned excitedly.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto awoke to the scent of lavender filling his nostrils, the harsh sunlight streaming in from the window trying to pry his eyelids open. He tried to sit up, only to discover that he couldn't because a small, lithe form was draped over the right side of his torso. He looked down, his mouth twitching into a smile.

Hinata's head rested comfortably on his stomach, her right arm draped next to it. Her left hand was gripping tightly onto his right hand, and there was an annoying tingle in his fingers, a sort of pins-and-needles sensation. Obviously, she'd stayed by his side the entire time, waiting patiently for him to awaken from his slumber.

A hushed argument met his ears, interrupting his thoughts and observation. Looking up, he could see his father waging a quiet war with the toad sage, Jiraiya.

"I _can't_ go with you!" Arashi insisted, a scowl on his face. "Quit asking! I'm a Jounin, and I'm needed on missions at the moment. While I'm angry at the village for betraying my last wish, I _still_ owe it to Naruto to be loyal to it!"

"But someone needs to come!" Jiraiya told him, waving his arms for emphasis. "She won't listen to me if I go alone! You know how she'll be now!"

"I have responsibilities now! Take Naruto with you! Teach him to summon toads!" Arashi said. Under his breath, too low for Jiraiya to hear, he said, "That's about all you _can_ teach him, anyway."

Naruto tuned out the disagreement as thoughts flew through his mind. In his excitement over the rooftop battle with Orochimaru, he'd completely forgotten about finding Tsunade. The old man had said he was going to step down after the Chûnin Exams, stating that he was far too old to be wearing the Hokage robes, anyway.

At least, that's what Sarutobi's excuse had been. Naruto had a sneaking suspicion that the old man was going to take it easy now that he knew where Tsunade was…and how to con her into the Hokage office. With his successor planned out, he needn't do anything more than sit back and relax. It was a subtle and devious plan, one worthy of Sarutobi. He wasn't called the Professor for nothing.

Naruto burrowed deeper into his thoughts and memories. Shortly after Tsunade took office, the mission to Yuki no Kuni would be assigned to Team Seven. He was more prepared for it this time than he had been the first time, and he had no doubt that Hinata would want to go too. He frowned. She'd be needed here, in Konoha.

Then there was Naruto's biggest problem, Orochimaru. It seemed that, no matter what he did to the man, the Snake Sennin continued to survive against his overwhelming might. Alone, Naruto stood no chance against him, but with Zangetsu, the Kyubi, Skeith, and his Bankai, Orochimaru was about as much a threat as a drop of water.

So why? Why couldn't he finish the bastard off? His high level Hadô should have sliced Orochimaru to ribbons, yet it had done nothing more than give him a few lacerations and reduce his hands to stumps. To most people, that would seem significant, and most ninja would be forced to quit after that. But Orochimaru was different. In order to destroy Orochimaru, you had to literally destroy him.

That was something Naruto should be able to do with ease, his Bankai easily putting him on par with the combined strength of all three Sannin. Using his Vizard powers in conjunction with Bankai drained him quickly, but gave him a sort of 'godlike' power. It was like opening the Hachimon, a short stay of absolute power. Opening the seal on his right hand would grant him god-hood, if only for a scant few minutes before he exploded.

So why? Why was it so difficult for him to permanently eliminate Orochimaru, the x factor in every one of his plans?

"Hey, brat," Naruto's head shot up, locking on to the face of the one who had interrupted his thoughts, Jiraiya.

Naruto made sure to give the elder man a confused look, then let a flitter of enlightenment flash across his face, "Oh, now I know who you are!"

Jiraiya chuckled in a self-appreciating tone, "Well, I'm not surprised. I _am_ pretty famous, after all."

"You're Jiraiya, the Toad Sage!" Naruto threw the man a disgusted glare. "You're the one who writes Kakashi-sensei's smut! Ero-sennin!"

Jiraiya vaulted face first into the hospital floor, groaning disappointedly. In a flash, he was standing again, finger pressed up against his lips in a silent 'shush!'

"Okay, listen, brat," Jiraiya hissed quietly. "Since there isn't anyone in the village capable of being Hokage that actually _wants_ to be Hokage, I have to go find my teammate, Tsunade, and try to convince her to take the job. Trouble is, she won't listen to me if I go alone."

Jiraiya grinned, "That's where you come in. I'm going to take you with me to go find her, and you and I are going to convince her to become Hokage. We leave two days from now, got it?"

Nodding silently, Naruto watched as Jiraiya backed up quietly and prepared to leave, "Later, brat!"

Just as he was about to jump out the window, Jiraiya seemed to remember something and reached behind himself. He tossed a green flak jacket onto Naruto's bed, saying, "And congratulations on becoming Chûnin!"

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Isn't this wonderful, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked happily, searching the flowers in front of her. She was kneeling on the grassy earth of one of the less used training grounds, looking for a plant she had only ever heard about. "It's such a beautiful day outside! The sun is shining, the birds are singing!"

"Hn," Sasuke responded, leaning up against a tree not too far away. He wasn't too sure why he had bothered to follow her out to this place. He could be doing something useful, like training. Kakashi still owed him a Jutsu or two from earlier.

A twinge of pain shot through his neck, making him wince lightly. Faster than many could see, his hand raced up and clamped itself over the Curse Seal of Heaven, the object causing his pain. He rubbed the tender flesh there, willing the hurt to go away. He didn't need the damn thing acting up, not when it had been relatively inactive since the Chûnin Exams.

At the time, the Curse Seal was the primary cause for Sasuke's ire and suffering. It would activate at the most inopportune of times, often when he was tired or feeling weak. It would spread for a few seconds, then he'd manage to force it back down. The one thing he didn't need was for a large red target to be painted on himself, attracting the attention of every Jounin in Konoha.

He wished the damn thing would just go away. He wished it was every bit the hickey it looked like, so that it would fade and disappear over time. Then he wouldn't have to look over his shoulder every day and wonder how many ANBU were following him around, as if waiting for him to crack.

It was impeding on his training, too. Every time he used up too much chakra, the seal would activate, pumping tainted chakra through his system and trying to corrupt his mind. The way things were going, he wouldn't get stronger fast enough to kill Itachi at the age of eighty. He needed the thing to go away, to leave him in peace.

Sakura stood as she found what she was looking for, a strange looking flower. It was unremarkable, for the most part. It was an average color, an average shape, and, seemingly, an average flower. There was nothing about it to suggest that it might hold mystic properties, nor was there anything to support the idea that it was anything but normal.

A smile on her face, she handed it to the scowling Sasuke, saying, "Here."

Sasuke accepted it with a weird look on his face. He stayed silent, observing it quietly for a few minutes. This was what she had been looking for? What was so special about it? What _was_ it? It looked familiar, like he should already know what it was, but the name managed to escape him.

Finally, he asked, "What is it?"

Sakura's smile widened, "It's honeysuckle. A rare plant around the majority of the Elemental Nations, it can be found in abundance around Fire Country, especially right around Konoha."

A memory popped up in Sasuke's head, a solemn feeling of sorrow sinking into his bones. Quietly, he asked, "Sakura…do you know…what honeysuckle symbolizes?"

"Huh?" Sakura asked back, surprised by his query. "No, I don't. What does it symbolize?"

"_Sasuke-chan," Uchiha Mikoto looked at the flower Sasuke had handed her, a bright smile on his face. A slight smile, a peaceful one, decorated her face, "do you know what Honeysuckle symbolizes?"_

"_Huh?" six-year-old Sasuke asked dumbly. "No, Kaa-san, I don't. What?"_

_Mikoto giggled, "It's usually used by teenagers to express certain feelings, but, above all, Honeysuckle symbolizes…"_

_Mikoto slowly twirled the flower around between her fingers, "…Devoted Affection."_

"Honeysuckle symbolizes…" Sasuke started slowly, holding back his the tears that threatened to come, "…'Devoted Affection'."

"Wh-what?!" Sakura asked, a deep blush creeping up her cheeks. "O-oh. W-well, if you find it offensive…j-just forget I ever gave it to you!"

Sakura flailed her arms defensively, "I-in fact…forget we ever came here! I-I mean, y-you obviously don't want something like that from m-me…a…plain simple girl…like me."

"Sakura," Sasuke whispered firmly, interrupting her rant. He wrapped his arms around her as two tears silently crept down his face, "j-just _shut up_."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto nudged the door to his apartment shut, carrying in two paper bags full of groceries. He knew there wasn't any point to buying more than a few days' worth of food. In two days, he'd be heading off on the search for Tsunade, and immediately after he got home from that, he'd be moving in with his old man. Food for more than a few days would be purely superfluous.

Setting the bags down on his kitchen table gently, Naruto dropped his apartment key next to them. Rolling his shoulders, he turned around and made towards his bedroom, eager to get a nice hot shower. Humming lightly under his breath, he opened the door, then froze in his spot.

Naruto's eyes widened as he discovered that he wasn't alone in his apartment, an irrational fear gripping him as he realized that his guest stood between him and Zangetsu. Slowly, the figure that had been hunched over his bed stood straight, his reddish orange hat bright in the low sun.

Slowly, Azure Kite turned around, his glowing green eyes peering out from a mop of aquatic blue hair. Angular teeth shown from the childish figure's parted lips as Kite let loose a deep, low sigh, "Huuuuuuuuu."

Naruto bit his lip and dropped into a fighting stance, prepared to fight this inhuman warrior a second time. He never had the chance, as blue fire lit up around the creature opposite him, engulfing Kite in an azure aura. There was a flash of light, then Azure Kite was nothing more than an orb of blue flames zipping out Naruto's window.

Cautious of any traps that may have been set, Naruto walked up to his bed, where he noticed something that hadn't been there when he left. A pile of folded clothes sat on the mattress, a piece of paper perched neatly atop it, like a king on his throne. Carefully, mindful of any sudden chakra fluctuations, Naruto picked up the piece of paper.

"'_Hello again_'," Naruto read aloud, eyes skimming the paper, "'_Baka deshi'._"

Instantly, the world around Naruto faded into pure white light as a sensation of weightlessness overcame the blonde. There was a rushing feeling, as though he were being whisked away someplace. His vision swam dangerously, making him feel as if he were being tossed around by some higher life form. Then, just as suddenly, it stopped, and Naruto's feet hit solid ground again. Unprepared for such a landing, Naruto collapsed to the earth.

Groaning, Naruto stood uneasily, trying to shake the dizziness and disorientation from his mind. Faintly, underneath all the confusion rushing around in his mind, Naruto registered the sound of rushing water, like that of a waterfall.

Squinting as the world stopped spinning, Naruto realized that he was standing on a cobblestone walkway just barely big enough to allow a cart safe passage. Looking down, he could tell that he didn't want to fall off of his narrow strip of safety, because that first step was fatal.

Gazing towards his right, Naruto saw a long, majestic waterfall that stretched on forever framed against a sky painted in all kinds of reds, pinks, and oranges from the sun setting. It was a scene right out of a fairytale, the beautiful horizon that the hero would ride or walk off into, ready to begin his next adventure. Iron spires segmented the waterfall, adding to its magnificent appearance.

The rustle of clothing moving in the wind pulled Naruto's attention to the end of his little strip, where a man stood in a rosy pink kimono, a white obi, and white hakama. Long reddish orange hair was pulled into a ponytail at the base of the man's skull, the bangs let free to frame the man's face. A katana was strapped to the man's waist, his left hand resting at the mouth of the sheath gently.

As the man turned his head to look at Naruto, he could clearly see a cross-shaped scar resting diagonally on the man's cheek, deep, sapphire eyes twinkling with amusement. In a light tone, the man spoke, "Hello again, Baka deshi."

The words and the sound of the voice rung a bell in Naruto's memory, but even as he realized who this man was, his mind refuted it, refusing to believe that his shishou and this stranger were in fact the same person. It didn't seem to compute that the hardened samurai that he had first met long ago could possible be so mild mannered and happy faced.

"And welcome," Himura's voice came from this man's mouth, but it couldn't possible be him, "to the Land of Origin, Arche Koeln Waterfall."

"Himura," Naruto whispered breathlessly, "shishou."

"This one shouldn't be surprised," Himura said calmly, a smile on his lips, "that Naruto-kun came so early, so soon after his message was relayed."

"Relayed?" Naruto echoed quietly.

"Aa," Himura nodded, "Kite-dono was very helpful with that. Once you've crossed out of a dimension, it's nearly impossible to get back."

"Out of a dimension?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Did you not know, Naruto-kun?" Himura asked. "There are thousands of different worlds and dimensions out there. Some of them intersect and coexist, such as your world and Soul Society, and some of them are so far apart, that not even the greatest of the great can cross the barrier separating them.

"My world, Naruto-kun," Himura told him, "is very hard to get to from your world, and vice versa. This one nearly died trying to get home after he had taught you all that he could."

"But," Naruto started, "but I went back in time! I rewound the world so that I could prevent the horrible disasters that had befallen it!"

"Yes, Naruto-kun," Himura answered the implied question, "you rewound time for your world and Soul Society, but all of the other worlds were unaffected. During the time that we were separated, this one finished learning from _his_ master."

"If we're not in my world, and we're not in your world, where are we?" Naruto asked.

"To those who have heard of this place, it is known as the Lost Ground, a place few could ever reach," Himura said, much like he had described the Hulle Granz Cathedral. "To those who know of the existence of other worlds, and to those who have traveled to other worlds, it is known as the Land of Origin, the Arche Koeln Waterfall. It is the nexus point of all worlds and dimensions."

Himura drew his sword, which Naruto immediately recognized as a Sakabatô, a reverse-blade sword, "Now, Naruto-kun, this one is ready to finish teaching you."

Looking down, Naruto saw Zangetsu next to his feet. He picked it up and gripped it tightly, the blade transforming into a Sakabatô as he held it.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

An orange-haired man stared off into the distant sky as the sun set on the village known as Konoha. A village he had grown found of, even if he wouldn't admit it aloud. As fond memories flitted into his mind, memories of his first experience as a teacher, memories of the students he had taught, he couldn't help but wish it would last longer.

There was so much more he had to teach. So many things he needed to let his students know. So many secrets that needed to be told. There was still a lot he felt he had to do, but his time for doing so had ended, and now, he had to return home, where he belonged.

Silently, he wondered. How long would it be till he saw his students again? Ten years? Fifteen? Thirty? Sixty? A hundred? How much more would they have aged, how much would they have learned without his guidance? What would they have accomplished?

Would they still need him?

That was the question that bugged him. Would his students still need him when he saw them again? He was afraid of the answer. As all teachers know, there is a point where the student has nothing more he can learn from his teacher. There is a point where the student will no longer need his teacher. Where he has _surpassed_ his teacher.

Ichigo knew this well. He himself had quickly surpassed the only one who had taught him in the ways of the Shinigami, or, more specifically, how to fight like one. Within one month of beginning his training with Urahara, Ichigo had surpassed the man, sailing beyond the limits most Shinigami possessed.

So how fast would Naruto and Hinata grow out of his teachings? How quickly would they cast him off when it became unnecessary for them to learn from him? Would they do so quickly, had they done so already? Would they still have things to learn from him when he next saw them? Would they surpass him in that time?

So many questions he had, but he had no answers. Only time could reveal the answers to his questions. He would have to wait and validate the answers himself. There was no one else to do so, so it had to be him.

"Ichigo!" Ichigo looked back at his wife, the lovely Kurosaki Rukia. "Time to go!"

Turning around, Ichigo spared one last glance back at Konoha, then walked through the Senkaimon gate that led to Soul Society.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto took a confident step outside of the large Konoha gate, staring at his teacher as the white-haired man started walking down the path in front of him. Fingering the strap of his backpack, Naruto took a second, steadier step in the direction he was to go, a little hesitant about leaving Hinata behind. The Hiashi he knew would have let her come, but he didn't want to risk _this_ Hiashi's ire.

Naruto smirked as his gloved fingers brushed against the silky smooth fabric of his new clothing. Himura had explained it, saying it had come from the world the Azure Knights called home. He'd put it on when he returned to his apartment and looked in the mirror. To a normal person, white wasn't a good color for a ninja. But Naruto knew. The color white had a particular meaning in his world. Death.

A skin-tight, white turtleneck shirt covered his torso, the sleeves nonexistent and the sides above and underneath his shoulders colored black. Thin black lines traveled vertically down his chest, and a strange collar, much like Sasuke's normal high-collared shirts, stretched up from just beneath his collarbone until it was level with the bottom of his chin. It was black, with the exception of a white strip at the very top.

His pants were white as well, but slowly transitioned into black as they moved down his legs. They disappeared into similarly colored bandages at his shins, his sandals remaining the same. His shuriken holster was attached to his right leg, wrapping around his pants tightly. It wasn't too tight, so it was comfortable.

Black gloves covered his hands, two golden bands at the base of each finger. The gloves traveled all the way up his arms, leaving his shoulders bare to the world, tiny belts with golden buckles following their lead. Part of it all was hidden, however, by the strong (Himura had said 'unbreakable') white armor plates that protected the tops of his forearms. It was all topped off by the black belt that traveled the circumference of his waist, attaching Zangetsu to his body, and the small pendant hidden behind his high collar.

Himura had said that the pendant was called the "Empty Eye of Sin", and that the clothing had been dubbed the "Empty Demon Suit". Apparently, the clothing was very resistant to damage, and could expand to fit its wearer. And the pendant…

Naruto smirked.

The pendant made it easier for him to focus, compress, and concentrate his chakra, which meant that he could use more of it without hurting himself. He could use approximately one-third of the chakra hidden behind the seal on his hand without side effects. His time would be limited so as to not overload the thing, but he'd still have access to a large portion of his power.

Naruto fingered the strap of his backpack anxiously, taking a quick step forward. Slowly, he came in line with Jiraiya, grinning up at the man as the pervert hurriedly scribbled in his notebook. Snatching the thing from the elder ninja's hands, he sprinted ahead of the Toad Sennin, laughing as he tried to catch up with him.

"Hey, Ero-sennin!" Naruto shouted back, waving the notebook. "What's so entertaining that you're always writing in this?"

"GIVE THAT BACK!" Jiraiya yelled angrily, chasing after the blonde. "THAT CONTAINS MY IMPORTANT RESEARCH!!"

As the two of them ran down the road, neither noticed a small figure with pale eyes smile serenely, a small giggle escaping her lips. With nothing but a quiet swoosh, she vanished from her place at the open gates, leaving no sign of having been there to begin with.

Only her words told of her presence, and they fell on deaf ears.

"Good luck, Naruto-kun."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto rose from his meditation with an angry sigh, his right eyebrow twitching dangerously as he walked towards the door to his room. It had been nearly five days since he and Jiraiya had left Konoha, and nearly four since they'd arrived in the village the currently resided in. Having mastered Summoning in the first day, Naruto did nothing but follow Jiraiya as he wandered around town, going his own way when the pervert peeped at the Hot Springs.

"I'm coming!" Naruto shouted as a second, much more insistent knock resounded throughout the cozy hotel room.

Taking a calming breath as a third knock pounded against the wooden door, Naruto slowly opened it, a stony look on his face as he stared up at the two figures before him. They were two people he recognized, having not only met them, but having killed them in the previous timeline.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," long black hair, tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Swirling Sharingan eyes. Uchiha Itachi gazed impassively down from his high collar; "We would like for you to come with us."

"Hello, Cousin," Naruto said, noticing Itachi's eyes widen almost imperceptibly. "Why, exactly, should I do that? Are you and the fish man representing some sort of real estate agency?"

Naruto shrugged, doing his best to give off the famous Uchiha cold shoulder, "Sorry, but I'm not interested in buying a home so far from home."

"Heh heh! This kid's got spunk!" the taller, blue-skinned man chuckled. "I think I'm beginning to like him!"

Naruto turned his own icy blue eyes on Kisame, reciting the information he had on the man as if he were reading it from a textbook, "Hoshigaki Kisame, S-Class Missing Ninja of the Village Hidden in the Mist. A former member of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu, the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."

Ignoring the man, Naruto turned his gaze back to Itachi, reciting the information the bingo book had on him, "Uchiha Itachi, S-Class Missing Ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. ANBU Captain at age thirteen, he is wanted for the genocide of his clan, his younger brother being the only known survivor."

"He sure knows a lot," Kisame commented lightly. "He looks kind of scrawny, though. Are you sure he's the vessel for the Nine-tailed Fox, Itachi?"

"I guess your group hasn't heard yet, has it?" Naruto smirked the famous Uchiha smirk, a small paperback book held in his hand. "It only came out about four days ago, and I just heard myself two days ago, so I suppose I can't blame you."

"What is it, brat?" Kisame asked impatiently. "What do you know that we don't?"

"Sharingan no Kakashi, the Green Beast, the Yellow Flash, the Professor," Naruto rattled off. "All of the powerful ninja have been given a nickname by their enemies and allies. Four days ago, Otogakure released a new version of the Bingo Book, but this one contained a special A-Class ninja, a ninja who Orochimaru designated as 'Flee on sight' for anyone below Jounin…me."

Itachi's eyes widened. Harshly, he whispered, "What?"

"He was even nice enough to give me a nickname," Naruto's eyes gleamed with mischief, "'Konoha no Shinigami'."

"Konoha's," Itachi began softly, disbelief coloring his voice, "God of Death?"

Naruto flipped the Bingo Book open to the page he had marked, reciting its data, "Kazama Naruto, A-Class ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Known for his Kenjutsu skills, his most powerful abilities are hidden behind a seal of some sort. When he utters the word 'Bankai' it is advised that fleeing is the wisest option. Anyone below Jounin is to flee on sight."

"Heh," Kisame reached up to heft his sword off his back, "even if you're in the Bingo Book, you're only A-class. We're _S-Class_."

Cold black steel pressed up against Kisame's blue neck, drawing a tiny line of blood. Another Naruto stood next to him, on his right, sword drawn and Sharingan whirling, "Really, Kisame, you shouldn't mess with my clones. They have…explosive personalities."

Kisame was stunned, "When did he—?"

Itachi was calm, "When he opened the book. He used it as a distraction to keep our notice from the quick, one-handed Kage Bunshin and Kawarimi seals."

The Naruto beside Kisame smirked, "My, my, you are quick, aren't you? But tell me…"

The tip of a sword pressed against Itachi's back, a third Naruto pointing his blade at the Uchiha prodigy, "…did you notice this one?"

No reply was forthcoming. A silence fell around them as each of them plotted their next move. Kisame and Itachi to find a way to gain the upper hand again, and Naruto to find a method of subduing them without killing Itachi. Itachi was Sasuke's mark, and it was by Sasuke's hand that Itachi would die. Naruto would see to it.

Time stretched on, and all of them remained motionless but for the slight movements of their breathing. Itachi's Sharingan picked apart every detail it could, but found no solution. Each Naruto was completely on guard. With the speed his opponent had displayed, either he or his partner would be dead before an escape could successfully be made. He couldn't make the first move, Naruto or Kisame would have to.

"ITACHI!" a voice screamed from down the hall. The entire group looked up, surprised, as Uchiha Sasuke charged towards the three of them, Chidori crackling around his left hand. "DIE!"

Eyes narrowing, Itachi's hand shot out, safely grasping his little brother's wrist. Capitalizing on Sasuke's shock, he twisted the younger boy's wrist. The Chidori disappeared and a loud snap echoed throughout the hall as the joint broke almost effortlessly, an agonized scream following shortly after.

Without pausing in remorse or hesitation, Itachi brought his knee up into Sasuke's stomach, releasing his younger sibling's wrist afterwards. Surprised and in pain, Sasuke doubled over, right arm over his stomach and left arm dangling uselessly. Itachi remained impassive, his cold red eyes watching him with a calculating gleam.

"_Damn!"_ Sasuke mentally swore. _"Damn! Damn! Damn! DAMN!"_

Slowly, Sasuke began to fall forward, his body unwilling to support its own weight. _"Am I going to lose here? Am I going to lose? After all that training I did. Was it all for naught?"_

"Ugh!" a strange feeling coursed through Sasuke's body, threatening to rise to the surface and burst from his body. Sasuke cursed his Curse Mark. Why was it acting up now, of all times?

Naruto, though, knew it wasn't the Curse Mark that was acting up. Bright, glowing pink runes flashed over Sasuke's revealed flesh, fading after a second, only to flare up again. They weren't something he'd seen before, but he'd recognize those marks in an instant. He'd read about them in a badly burned report, one of the few that had escaped Tarvos' rampage through Konoha.

"Shit!" Naruto rushed forward, grabbing onto Sasuke. Making to leave, he paused for a second and looked back, knowing he would regret his next action. "If you value your lives, I suggest you run as far away from here as you can."

With but a soft swish, Naruto and Sasuke disappeared from the hotel, leaving a stunned Kisame and Itachi behind.

They reappeared somewhere in the woods, close enough to the village that they could find their way back, but far away enough that civilian casualties would be at a minimum. Which meant that, hopefully, there wouldn't be any at all.

Setting Sasuke down, Naruto pulled out five paper talismans as the runes flashed more often. Mentally, Naruto did the calculations for his next venture. He'd only seen this happen with Shino when Magus the Propagation had awakened, and the only other reference besides that was the damaged report on Tarvos.

The runes had reached up to Sasuke's face. That meant that Tarvos had already begun to try and force Sasuke to summon it. Nodding to himself, Naruto applied three of his talismans, one to Sasuke's left shoulder, on to the left side of his chest, and one to the right side of his chest. Naruto was relieved to see the runes disappear from Sasuke's left arm, left leg, and right leg. It meant that he had successfully isolated Tarvos' influence to Sasuke's head and right arm.

Pulling out another talisman, he carefully applied it to Sasuke's forehead, watching with his activated Sharingan as a mass of pink energy moved from his cousin's head, to his right arm, only to pause as it seemed to realize it had reached a dead end. Naruto smirked and applied a final talisman to Sasuke right biceps.

With Tarvos isolated, Naruto stepped back and wiped the sweat that had gathered on his brow. Stretching lightly, he took off his gloves and set to work, preparing to seal Tarvos much the way he had sealed Magus and Skeith. It would be a hassle, of course, and Sasuke would probably be annoyed that he now had a total of three seals on his body, but berserk Avatars were not to be dealt with lightly.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"_This_ is Tanzaku-Gai?" Naruto asked, staring at the destroyed area in front of him, the remains of a decimated castle. Jiraiya nodded solemnly.

Had a larger area been affected by the carnage, 'natural disaster' might have been a believable excuse for the destruction that had occurred, but such wasn't the case. The castle was all that had been razed to the ground, so the culprit could only have been a summoned animal of some sort, or one of the tailed beasts.

Naruto knew, though, he didn't even need the rancid stench in the air to tell him. He frowned, "I smell a snake. The pedophile has been here recently, and he seems to have brought a corpse with him."

Jiraiya glanced at Naruto, "What do you mean?"

"The scent that sticks with Orochimaru's…" Naruto scowled, "I know that stench. I killed the traitor it belongs to."

Naruto took in a deep breath, a particular smell tickling his nose. He shot Jiraiya a look, "I smell alcohol. It's faint, and stale, but it's there. Is Tsunade an alcoholic?"

"Yeah," Jiraiya nodded, a serious look on his face. "She drinks sake almost religiously. Think you can pinpoint her location?"

"I think so," Naruto headed off in the direction he knew her to be in, sniffing every now and then. "She's a big drinker, all right, but she was sober when she met with the Snake Perv."

"That's not necessarily a good thing," Jiraiya muttered.

"Mm," Naruto responded as he walked into the pub, Jiraiya following close behind.

Instantly, Naruto was assaulted by the quiet noise of the pub, no one seeming to notice his entrance. He might as well have dropped a pin during a full-scale battle, he probably would have gotten more attention. That, of course, not really what he wanted.

Naruto took a tentative sniff as the pervert came up behind him, then pointed to where she was. Jiraiya was immediately excited and waved, "Tsunade-hime!"

The two of them sat down across from Tsunade and her apprentice, Shizune, ordering their own food (though Naruto never touched any of his. He knew there wasn't a point to it).

For a while, the entire group was silent, eating their food quietly. In that little corner of the room, you could have heard a needle hit the floor, as Tsunade inspected Naruto suspiciously. She was probably wondering why he was wearing white.

"Today…" Tsunade broke the tense quiet. "I met with someone who brings back a lot of bad memories."

"Orochimaru?" Jiraiya asked, before Naruto could make his comment. "Did anything happen?"

Tsunade's wordless command to Shizune about keeping quiet went unnoticed by the Gama Sennin, "Nothing much…just a little greeting."

Naruto threw her a suspicious glance; with his inactive doujutsu increasing his perception, he'd easily seen the glare that had been tossed around.

"You're here, too," Tsunade pointed out. "Why? What's the reason for this unexpected reunion?"

Jiraiya fixed her with a serious stare, "Konoha's Elder Council has issued a request for you to become the Godaime Hokage."

Tsunade and Shizune's eyes widened, a surprised look on both their faces.

"The Third…" Jiraiya continued. "Sarutobi-sensei is…"

"I heard," Tsunade said, regaining her composure. A semi-sad look crossed her face, "Orochimaru told me…it was his doing."

"Oh?" Jiraiya smirked. Tsunade's right eyebrow twitched, thinking he was disrespecting the Sandaime. "Then you haven't heard anything but a fabrication. Sensei came out of that battle without a scratch."

"What do you mean?" Tsunade questioned, disbelieving.

"In his little fantasy world, I have no doubt that Orochimaru killed Sarutobi-sensei," Jiraiya grinned, "but the fact is, he couldn't handle the back up that came in time to stop his evil plot. Naruto here was the one who cut off Hebi-teme's hands."

"His escape was pure luck," Naruto added. "I miscalculated, and didn't have the energy I needed to take out the bastard's troop of girl scouts."

Tsunade arched a curious eyebrow, "Who is this kid?"

Jiraiya grinned, "Kazama Naruto, A-class Chûnin and future Rokudaime Hokage. So, what do you say?"

There was a long pause, in which Tsunade seemed to consider the offer, then, "No."

Naruto sighed impatiently, "Damn it, old lady. Don't you understand? You're only one capable. Ossan quit because he was getting to be too old. You're the only one who can be Hokage."

Tsunade chuckled, "Jiraiya, this brat is worse than your previous student…in terms of looks, speech, and intelligence."

"It's hard to compete with the Fourth…" Jiraiya started. "Especially when—"

"My father," Naruto hissed, interrupting his unofficial sensei, "is a better person than you'll ever be. He's a better _ninja_ than you'll ever be."

"But even the Fourth died quickly," Tsunade didn't seem to have heard Naruto. "He sacrificed himself for Konoha…but life is different from money. It can't be risked so easily. Whoever does so is a fool."

Jiraiya frowned, not even mentioning the Fourth's resurrection, "You've changed, Tsunade."

"Age changes people," she commented offhandedly. "But only a fool would be Hokage."

Plates and food jumped off the table slightly as Naruto's fists collided with the wood. He glared at her fiercely, scowling deeply. He shrugged off Jiraiya's hand, which had tried to pull him down by his shoulder.

"Don't mess with me, Jiraiya," Naruto growled. "I don't care if she's a woman or some funky transvestite, I'm going to _pummel_ her."

"You've got some guts," Tsunade said calmly, her eyebrow twitching as she stood. "Let's take this outside."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Tsunade smirked, standing about ten yards from Naruto, "I've been one of the Sannin since before you were even born. I don't have to take this seriously. One finger should do."

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge, Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya warned her as Naruto seethed. "He shows even more promise than Arashi."

"If you won't take me seriously," Naruto said, his voice frigid as he yanked his sword from its sheath. "Then I'll just have to force you!"

In an instant, he was upon her, his sword flashing in what seemed to be nine different directions simultaneously. She was frozen, unable to move as he called out the name of his attack, "Kuzu Ryû Sen!" (Nine-headed Dragon Flash)

Then, as he landed behind her, she could breathe and move again. She looked herself over, but could neither see nor feel any damage on her body. She looked back at him, his icy blue gaze locking with hers.

"Had I intended to kill you…you would be dead," he told her bluntly.

"You little punk!" she rushed towards him, growling her anger.

He disappeared again and she ducked under his attack, a few blonde hairs floating down in front of her face. They'd not escaped the sharp blade of his sword, she knew, and it could have been her head instead of a few strands of her beautiful hair, but she wasn't one of the Sannin for sitting around on her ass.

She turned around and flung a hard punch towards his unprotected back, but he was already gone. A shadow blocked out the moonlight and she looked up, eyes widening as Naruto fell from the sky. She never knew that a human could jump that high unaided by chakra.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryû!" Naruto cried as he came down. "Ryû Tsui Sen-Zan!"

Tsunade jumped back out of the way, delivering a crushing blow to Naruto's face. To her surprise, he didn't go flying, but latched his hands onto her arm and smirked at her, mouthing a single word that she would begin to dread.

"Boom."

An explosion lit up the night as the Kage Bunshin detonated itself while attached to Tsunade's arm. Mere seconds after it had gone off, Tsunade appeared out of the cloud, miraculously unharmed, but panting as if she had just run the sixty-mile cure for cancer. It had obviously taken a great deal of effort for her to escape the explosion.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

Tsunade jumped out of the way again as a fireball came barreling at her from out of nowhere. She seemed to barely escape the hot flames, but was tensed and ready for whatever attack was thrown at her next. She wasn't a Sannin for sitting around on her ass.

Naruto appeared from within the smoke of the explosion, already starting another Jutsu, "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!"

Tsunade expertly dodged the fireballs that flew her way, flinging her fist into Naruto as he charged toward her. He disappeared into smoke, another Kage Bunshin as far as she could tell. Her senses became hypersensitive as she waited for him to show himself again.

A cold, menacing voice spoke up from behind her, **"Cero."**

Her instincts going haywire, Tsunade ducked under the explosive ray of energy that would have likely torn her head off, rose under the figure's guard and punched him right in the face. Instantly, the skull like mask he was wearing fell to pieces, revealing Naruto's face. It was obvious, from the slight quirk of his lips, that he'd let her have that hit.

Flipping in midair, Naruto bit his thumb and flashed through seals, pulling down the glove on his right arm. Tsunade, from her distance, couldn't make out what it was, but there appeared to be a sort of tattoo on his arm.

Eyes widening with alarm, Tsunade hit the ground as fast as she could, sending out a tremor that knocked Naruto off balance and interrupted his technique, which she strongly suspected was summoning. Angry, she turned to her teammate, "Jiraiya! How could you do something so foolish? Teaching summoning to this brat!"

Jiraiya shrugged, "It was the only thing I _could_ teach him. The brat already knew everything I might have thought to teach to him. The only other thing he really needs help on is seals, and he's already got a better teacher for that subject."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "And who might that be?"

Jiraiya shrugged again, "You'll have to see that for yourself when we get back to Konoha."

Tsunade smirked, "Nice try, Jiraiya, but I'm not going back with you. My curiosity isn't so great that I'd simply follow you back to that God forsaken village."

"Hey, old lady," Tsunade turned her attention back onto Naruto, whose clothing was back to normal as he stood with his arms crossed, "let's make a bet."

"Oh?" Tsunade arched an eyebrow. "Now you're speaking my language. What are the terms?"

Naruto grinned foxily at her, "At the end of the seven day period Orochimaru gave you, when he comes to see what your decision is, I'll beat him up single handed. If I win, you come back to Konoha and be Hokage."

"And if you lose," Tsunade said, smirking at him. "You have to give up your foolish dream of being Hokage and quit as a ninja. And…if you win…" she fingered the necklace hanging from her neck, "I'll even give you this."

Naruto's grin widened, "You better enjoy that pendant of yours while you can, because, a week from now, it'll be hanging from _my_ neck."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Tsunade stood against Kabuto, Orochimaru's assistant, and Orochimaru himself. The fight had only begun a little while ago, but a tie seemed imminent. Orochimaru, without use of his arms, was almost useless, but with Kabuto helping him, they made a powerful team.

Shizune, a drugged and sluggish Jiraiya, and Naruto all arrived on the scene, skidding to a halt a score of yards away from the battle. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of the silver-haired boy standing next to the snake Sennin. Tsunade was frozen, covered in blood not her own.

"Kabuto," Naruto growled. "I could have sworn I'd killed you."

"Oh my, yes, Naruto-kun, you did," Kabuto adjusted his glasses, smirking. "I do believe I owe you one for that."

In a flash, they were at each other's throats, starting a battle to the death. With his resurrection, Kabuto had an opportunity he hadn't had when he'd been killed. He had the chance of a fair, straight fight. He'd been denied that the first time, when Naruto had assassinated him atop one of Konoha's roofs.

Naruto's black sword flashed, swiping at Kabuto's neck. Kabuto ducked beneath the onyx blade, lancing out with a heavy palm strike to the bottom left side of Naruto's ribcage. With a forced cough, air left Naruto's lungs as he was flung backwards, where he landed on the ground with a hard thud.

In an instant, Naruto was on his feet again, rubbing his now sore ribs. They were sore, but he'd be fine. Kabuto hadn't been using his Chakra Scalpels during his attack, so there hadn't been any damage inflicted to his internal organs. And even if there had been, Kyubi would heal it faster than it had been dealt. He took a deep breath. He needed to calm down to face against this opponent, one who had been brought back from the dead.

"My, my, Naruto-kun," Kabuto smirked, adjusting his glasses again, "you're not quite as invincible as I remember. Have you gotten weaker since our last encounter?"

With a growl, Naruto struck the ground with his sword as hard as he could. Rocks and chunks of earth flew away from the point of impact as Naruto jumped, heading towards Kabuto, "Do Ryû Sen!" (Earth Dragon Flash)

As Naruto knew he would, Kabuto dodged the debris as if it were nothing, moving right into the line of Naruto's next attack. With gravity pulling him down, Naruto fell on his opponent, sword poised to strike, "Ryû Tsui Sen-Zan!" (Dragon Hammer Strike-Tragedy)

Again, Kabuto dodged out of the path of Naruto's sword, but was not prepared for the increase in speed as Naruto pulled off his next technique. From Kabuto's point of view, it was as if Naruto was attacking from nine different places at once, with nine swords, "Kuzu Ryû Sen!" (Nine-headed Dragon Flash)

Naruto spun around as the clone disappeared, flashing through one-handed seals as though it had been his plan all along. Stopping on the seal for 'tiger', he took in a deep breath, then let it out in the form of fire, "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

As Kabuto dodged out of the path of the huge ball of flames, Naruto was already finishing the hand seals for his next Jutsu. Again, he stopped on tiger, took in a deep breath, then let it loose, "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!"

As Kabuto dodged the five fireballs, Naruto prepared his next technique. As his Housenka died down, he flung his first tool, an ordinary kunai, then, seconds later, flung the other materials he'd gotten ready. Before he even realized what had happened, Kabuto was captured, special steel wire binding his arms to his body. The kunai and Fuma Shuriken that he'd dodged had transformed into Naruto clones, each of which held the end of a length of wire between his teeth, "Sōfūshasan no Tachi! Naruto-ban!" (Windmill Triple Blades-Naruto Version)

Faster than he could follow, all four Naruto, the three clones and the original, went through the seals for another fire Jutsu. Simultaneously, they stopped, taking in a deep breath, then breathed out the flames of their attacks, "Katon: Ryûka no Jutsu!" (Dragon Fire Technique)

Four streams of fire traveled up four different lengths of wire, converging on their target, which was soon consumed by the burning flames. The figure in the center of the blaze fell to his knees, then to the ground, his features obscured by the flames eating away at his body. No one could have survived such a brutal display.

Naruto dodged out of the way of a kunai, twisting around in midair. He landed, facing his opponent once more, "I didn't think that such an attack would kill you, Kabuto. It would have been far too easy."

Kabuto remained quiet as he attacked, striking forward with his Chakra Scalpels glowing ominously on his hands. Naruto ducked underneath a particularly vicious strike aimed at his heart, lashing out with a powerful Juken palm strike that landed squarely in Kabuto's own heart. He'd been so forceful, that he could see the excess chakra expel itself from the back of Kabuto's torso.

Time froze, and it seemed as if Naruto had won, because Kabuto was unmoving and wasn't breathing. Then, a wicked grin spread over the silver-haired teen's face as he struck out with an attack that Naruto just barely dodged. Cursing himself for his stupidity, Naruto panted at the exertion. He was beginning to tire.

Calming himself down, Naruto prepared for his next move, one that would ultimately end the fight. Then, as Kabuto rushed towards him again, Naruto disappeared in a swish of Shunpo. He reappeared in front of his enemy, and, before Kabuto could react, thrust his sword into his enemy's gut. He gathered energy into his blade, looking into Kabuto's eyes with his own icy blue ones.

"Getsuga," he intoned quietly, "Tenshô."

There was but a moment in which Kabuto seemed to realize he had lost, in which he said, "Oh."

In an explosion of blood, flesh, and silvery goop, Kabuto vanished from the world for the second time. This time, hopefully, it was permanent, and Orochimaru wouldn't be able to resurrect the silver-haired ninja.

Naruto turned his gazed onto the stunned Orochimaru, then smirked at the Snake Sennin. Knowing what he'd have to do, Naruto pointed his blade skyward, gathering energy for what he was going to do next. He grinned foxily at the alarmed look on Orochimaru's face as storm clouds gathered in the sky, "Bankai."

A bolt of blue lightning soared from the clouds, striking Naruto and illuminating the area in a bright flash. Everyone closed his or her eyes to prevent from going blind. When it was safe to look again, the ones who hadn't seen this before gasped in surprise.

Translucent red goggles covered Naruto's Sharingan eyes, the strap disappearing into his spiky hair. The sword in Naruto's hand had transformed, now a regular-looking katana made of black steel. Diamond-shaped rubies were inlaid in the hilt, which was still wrapped in white. The hand guard was now spiral-shaped, with three thin spires. A ragged-looking black coat was fitted over his body, tight on his torso and forearms, but flaring out after it reached his waist. The inside was a bloody crimson, and the hem was ripped and rugged, hanging in strips near his ankles.

"Shinkû Shinkirô Zangetsu," Naruto's voice was calm and confident. "Shoki: Raijin."

As everyone stared, stupefied, Naruto disappeared, and his voice came from a place that only Orochimaru expected, "It is the accepted norm that Bankai increases a person's power by five to tenfold."

Gasping, Orochimaru backed away as fast as he could, but the effort was futile, for a deep cut formed on his back. In the instant that Orochimaru had tried to move away, Naruto had reappeared behind him, slashing at him with his deadly sword. For Orochimaru, it was a nightmare come true. For Tsunade, it was the impossible becoming possible.

Once more, Naruto stood in front of Orochimaru, Zangetsu poised to administer the finishing blow. Fear, no, terror crept into Orochimaru's serpentine eyes, his mouth wide open in horror. Then, with a large amount of strength channeled to his arm, Naruto swung downward, intent on decapitating the Snake Sennin.

It was not to be.

At the last second, someone barreled into him, shoving him out of the way with the force of a speeding train. He was flung away from his target, landing a far enough away from Orochimaru and with enough force that he'd take a few seconds to stand up again.

Groaning as the Kyubi repaired the damage he had just taken, Naruto sat up slowly, watching as the wheezing form of Kimimaro Kaguya picked up the injured Orochimaru and headed off towards the forest. Growling he stood and made to follow, but a wall of bones rose up to stop him.

With but a swing of his sword, Naruto unleashed another Getsuga Tenshô, which crashed into the wall soundly, but did not destroy it. Scowling, Naruto prepared to unleash the technique Zangetsu had recently taught him, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. The world froze.

"Stop, Naruto," Zangetsu told him, hand firm. "You may want to annihilate him now, but think first about the repercussions of killing him."

Naruto paused, and nodded for Zangetsu to continue. A ghost of smile quirked at the man's lips, "If you kill him now, Akatsuki will know, and they will be able to devote their entire group to finding the tailed beasts. They won't have to worry about Orochimaru interfering. That wouldn't be good, because not even you can take down nine S-class criminals simultaneously.

"However, if you leave him alive, Akatsuki will still have to be wary of him, and it will make it easier for you to pick them off one or two at a time. With their attention diverted, it will be as though they were handing you victory on a silver platter."

Naruto mulled it over for a minute, then, sighing, his Bankai faded away. He nodded resolutely as Zangetsu faded from view.

As time returned, Naruto looked back at Tsunade's surprised face. With a cheeky grin, he held out his hand expectantly, "I win."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Next time…

"_Man, what a hassle. Why did we have to watch this movie again? I don't get what it has to do with the mission."— Naruto_

"_Good luck, Naruto-kun. I know you can do anything you set your mind to." — Hinata_

"_It's good to know that some of my changes finally did some good. Hinata-chan…I look forward to our future together."— Naruto_

"_**Peace has finally returned. Hmph. Don't get used to it. The best laid plans of mice and men…" **__— Kyubi_

"_Hey, guys. Ready for your next mission? Your fantasy has finally come true, Naruto, we're escorting an actress." — Kakashi_

"_Damn it! Ugh! This Curse Mark…this Curse Mark hurts!" — Sasuke_

"_**I hope we're finally rid of that disgusting silver-haired traitor. I don't want to waste anymore energy trying to kill him." **__— Kyubi_

"_I think I understand, Zangetsu. Until such time as Akatsuki is no longer a threat, Orochimaru must remain alive." — Naruto_

"_Grr! Damn that brat! What can I do to defeat such a monstrous ninja? Tayuya! Jirobo! Sakon! Kidomoaru! Go get my next vessel…Uchiha Sasuke." — Orochimaru_

_Escorting an actress and her employers and coworkers back to her homeland doesn't sound like an A-Rank mission. But add in a greedy uncle, a conspiracy to take over a country, a precious gem that unlocks the treasure of Yuki no Kuni, a princess, and a group of Snow ninja, and then you'll have what you're looking for. The remake of the Naruto movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow._

_Now that Tsunade has been instated as Hokage, she has some missions to dish out. The one given to Team Seven is a mission that Naruto recognizes quite well. Escort Fujikaze-san back to her home village to shoot the next part of a movie series. Things will get complicated, Naruto knows, when Fujikaze-san turns out to actually be Kazahana-hime. It's time to save another village._

_Next time, "The Black Moon Rising." _

** — o.0.O.O.0.o —   
A/N Wow! It's been, what…three months? Two? At any rate, it's been a while. Here's Chapter 9!**

**Sorry this took so long to get out. I just didn't have much inspiration. I'd start it, then my inspiration would run dry a few minutes later. **

**Yay! Kenshin came back!**

**If anyone has the lyrics for "Your Gentle Smile", the ending theme for the third GU game, I'd greatly appreciate it if you sent them to me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, (Dot) Hack, or Bleach**

.::._"Peace…It feels good, doesn't it? After years of bloody war, we are finally at peace." — Naruto_

"_Do you see it, Sakura? Our future…it's so bright. Under the Sixth Hokage, we shall flourish, and the tree of Konoha will bloom." — Sasuke_

_A bright light, shining over all the land. A statue, erected to honor the leader of the village and its greatest hero. The Will of Fire burns brightly._

"_Tou-san! Tou-san! Guess what I did, Tou-san!" — Kazama Kaworu_

"_Now, now, Kaworu-chan. Your father is very busy, your Sharingan can wait." — Kazama Hinata_

"_Good job, Kaworu-kun! Hokage-sama will be very proud!" — Umino Iruka-sensei_

"_Ugh, Kaworu-baka can do it, why can't I?" — Uchiha Shishiô_

"_Come back to bed, Konohamaru. Hokage-sama can wait till morning." — Hyuga Hanabi_

"_Brother…I wish you could see it. I wish you could see the splendor Hokage-sama has brought to our clan." — Hyuga Hiashi_

"_Yuki…I wish you could be here. I wonder…have you watched our son from your place in Soul Society?" — Kazama Arashi_

"_Can you hear it, Tenten? It's the sound of a thousand flying birds, freed from their cages." — Hyuga Neji.::._

_**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 3: Redemption…**_**Coming Soon, December 2007/January 2008**

**The release of Chapter ten…erm, I'm not sure about when that'll be. I need the inspiration to write it first. And reviews.**

**Wow! Thirty four pages!**

**Bankai (It is the accepted norm that Bankai increases a Shinigami's power by 10 fold):**_ Tensa Zangetsu (Heavenly Chains Cutting the Moon): See Chapter Five Author's Notes._

_Shinkû Shinkirô Zangetsu (Empty Mirage Cutting the Moon): See Chapter Five Author's Notes_

_Mugen Enbukyoku Sakuhime (Endless Waltz of the Flower Princess): See Chapter Eight Author's Notes._

_Hyôteiken Benihime (Frozen Imperial Sword of the Crimson Princess): See Chapter Eight Author's Notes._

_**To Love is to glimpse Heaven…**_

**James Daniel Godric Fawkes**

_James Daniel Godric Fawkes_**(Signature best viewed in **_**Wendy Medium**_** font style)**


	10. The Black Moon Rising

_Nagareru toki no naka matataku setsunateki kirameki o  
Kono yo no kioku ni kizamu tame arukitsuzukeru Believer_

_Dare ni mo mirenai yume o mite iranai mono wa subete suteta  
Yuzurenai omoi kono mune ni yadoshite_

_Mada riaru to idearu no hazama ni ite gisei no kase ni ashi o torarete mo  
Afureru shoudou osaekirenai tsuyoku motomeru kokoro ga aru kara_

"_Itsuwari" "O sore" "Kyoshoku" "Urei" samazama na negatibu ni  
Torawareru hodo yowaku wa nai kodoku mo shiranu Trickster _

_Yozora o tsukisasu biru no mure hoshi nado mienai sora miage  
"Mayoi wa nai ka" to jibun ni toikakeru_

_Kono machijuu afureru mono ni mamire utsutsu o nukasu you na koto wa nai  
Asu e to tsunagaru michi no hate de kono te ni tsukamu mono o mitai kara_

_Mabuta o toji ishiki no umi ni ukande omoiegaku risou o te ni suru sono toki o _

_Kagiri aru "sei" o kono yo ni uke kare yuku dake wa oroka ni hitoshii  
Hoka no dare mo ga mochienai mono "gjibun jishin" to iu na no kesshou e_

_Kireigoto o tsukitoosu koto itsuka makoto e kawaru  
Katakuna ni shinjitsuzuketai It's just my faith. The absolute truth._

_Nagareru toki no naka matataku setsunateki kirameki o  
Kono yo no kioku ni kizamu tame arukitsuzukeru Believer_

_**Alumina, **__by __**Nightmare**_

With a yawn, Naruto stretched his arms, sitting up in his new bed. Sliding the covers back, he stood up, grabbing his bathrobe as he headed towards his own personal shower. Nudging the door open with his bare foot, he slipped inside and pulled the door closed behind him. Grinning at the spacious area before him, he hung his bathrobe on the rack on the back of the door.

Turning on the water in the shower, Naruto shrugged off his pajamas until he was in only his boxers. Catching his reflection in the mirror, he turned his gaze towards it, studying his own body. A hardened warrior gazed back at him, blue eyes sharp and observant.

Chiseled muscles covered his torso, taut and lean. Like all Shinobi, his muscles had tone and density, not a large size. Huge, bulking muscles would only slow a Shinobi down and limit his or her range of motion. That was the true strength of a shinobi, their deceiving muscle size. It was one of the things that made is so easy for them to fit in with the crowd when on a reconnaissance mission.

Naruto flexed his left arm, studying the detailed creases his muscles made. Their compact size hid their true nature, a nature that only Naruto knew the full extent of. He gently ran his fingers down his arm, memorizing the smooth hardness. Twisting around, he studied the other arm, tracing the intricate seals with his fingers.

As steam rose up his legs and consumed the mirror, Naruto stripped off his undergarments and stepped into the seductive heat of the water.

"_What did Shishou mean?" _he asked himself.

"_Just as there are thousands of worlds that do not coexist," Himura had said, "there are many that intersect. An example of this is your world and the world of the Azure Knights. While you can not travel there the way you can travel to Soul Society, there are beings that exist in both worlds._

"_An example of these beings are the Avatars. Just as they exist in your world, so do they exist in the Azure Knights' world. Just because they exist in both worlds, though, does not mean the events in one world will affect the other. However, you must be wary. In their world, a being exists that is the Anti-Existence of the Avatars. Logically, it must also exist in your world. You must not allow this creature to defeat the Avatars."_

"_Does that mean that the Anti-Existence is here, too?"_ he pondered, rubbing shampoo into his hair. _"If so, I must be prepared for the worst case scenario."_

Ten minutes later, Naruto stepped out again, wet hair flopping in front of his eyes and a towel around his waist. After drying himself off, he dressed in his usual uniform, the "Empty Demon Suit". Securing all but the gloves and Zangetsu to his body, he left the bathroom and went towards the stairs.

It had been nearly a week since Tsunade had taken up the mantle of Hokage, and nearly as long since Naruto had started living with his father. His routine had since become steady. Wake up and take a shower, then head downstairs. If his dad was still around and didn't have a mission, they'd eat breakfast together. Then, Naruto would go to train with his team or take a mission with them. Once, he'd been asked to go on a two day escort mission with Iruka, and had happily obliged.

Turning, Naruto started down the second flight of stairs. His room was on the top floor, so he had to go down two flights of stairs to get down to the kitchen and dining area. Quickening his pace, Naruto all but ran down the stairs. He could smell breakfast cooking.

Sasuke had been training particularly hard since Tsunade had taken over. He appeared to have taken his easy defeat at the hands of Itachi quite personally, as though it was an insult to his Uchiha heritage that his brother was stronger. Naruto simply called it a wounded pride, because that was all it was. He was acting childish.

He'd seen Hinata a lot less often than usually, probably because her father was now drilling her full of Juken techniques. Now that Hiashi knew Hinata had some measure of skill, enough worth paying attention to, he seemed a lot more eager to be a father to her. Naruto suspected that part of it was that he finally had a justification for teaching her, one that would satisfy the stingy old men on the elder council.

Sakura had finally started taking life as a ninja seriously, as well as Ino. Both seemed to understand the true extent of their chosen profession, and had finally started training for it. The Chûnin Exams seemed the only possible explanation for this change of heart, as both had probably been scared by just how close they had come to dying during the invasion.

Naruto hadn't seen Shikamaru since the other had become Chûnin. If he had to guess, Asuma was probably training him personally, making sure that his brightest student was prepared for the harsh missions he would no doubt face now that he had gone up in rank. It wouldn't do for Shikamaru to die just because he wasn't prepared for the eventuality of a ninja: Taking a life.

Kiba and Akamaru were training as hard as they could, driving themselves to the limits of their bodies, last Naruto had heard. He sincerely hoped that the Inuzuka didn't harbor dreams of winning Hinata's heart, because Naruto knew that would end badly, for everyone. It would be better if the boy just gave up and looked elsewhere for feminine affection.

Naruto frowned. It seemed what happened to Skeith and Tarvos had happened to Corbenik as well. The "Rebirth" had evolved from a summon into a full blown Avatar, one that now rivaled its brethren in power. He'd had to seal the beast's conscious mind directly to Hinata's to ensure that it didn't break free from Hinata's will. The Avatars, it seemed, were…evolving.

Innis, Mirage of Deceit, had awoken too. It'd taken all of his speed just to ensure that Sakura's Avatar didn't cause major damage. If it hadn't been for Skeith's specialty with "Avatar Awakening"(the term he'd come up with for describing Skeith's draining-power-thingy), Innis might have killed quite a few people before he could have sealed it up.

Naruto mentally counted the phases that he'd read about from the prophecy the Sandaime had shown him. So far, Skeith, Innis, Magus, Tarvos, and Corbenik had appeared. That left Fidchell, Gorre, and Macha. Who would the remaining three phases choose? Would they be other Genin, such as Kiba and Ino? Or would they be random ninja?

Banishing the troubling thoughts from his mind, Naruto walked into the kitchen with a smile on his face, "Tousan! That smells—uh?"

Hinata smiled up at him from the stove, her long hair pulled into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck and an apron tied around her body that said 'Kiss the cook'. Hinata's smile brightened as she said, "Good morning, Naruto-kun!"

"Oi!" Naruto looked over at his father, who was sitting at the table chewing on pancakes. Without bothering to swallow, he said, "Why didn't you tell me Hinata-san was such a good cook?"

**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce  
By: **James D. Fawkes

**Chapter Ten: The Black Moon Rising  
— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

Naruto sat down at the table the night before he knew his big mission was coming. His father sat across from him, sipping tea slowly. Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, Naruto said, "Dad…could you tell me about mom?"

Arching an eyebrow slightly, Arashi swallowed the tea in his mouth and set his cup down, sighing, "Well, Naruto, before I do that, there's something you have to understand. The names that you've probably heard for your mother and I are fakes."

Naruto looked at him with wide eyes.

"That is to say," Arashi clarified, "Kazama Arashi and Uzumaki Kushina were aliases that we used when we were faced with certain circumstances. For your mother, she was cast out of the Uchiha clan for her unnatural traits; traits that the clan head at that time thought were unbecoming of an Uchiha."

Arashi took another sip of tea, "Your mother, you see, had bright red crimson hair, like your friend, Gaara, and green eyes, and she couldn't activate her Sharingan; she never did, now that I think about it. Obito, one of my previous students, was only kept in the clan because he _looked_ like an Uchiha. Yuki was cast out.

"So she took up the name Uzumaki Kushina when the Whirlpool Country collapsed. That is the name by which the majority of the world knows her."

Naruto sat, fascinated, as his father took another sip of his tea, "I, on the other hand, was an orphan. My entire clan was dead, and my name was precious to me. I was Namikaze Minato, and that's who I planned on staying. Unfortunately, it became clear to me that any children I had would be called by that name, too. And it was a name I was proud of.

"Fame often attracts enemies, so I decided to take up a fake name, and let my children repopulate the Namikaze clan. I became the Yellow Flash soon after, and then I met your mother and took on a team. Of the people still alive now, I think only Jiraiya, Sarutobi, and Hiashi, my old teammate, know the truth."

There was a silence after that, as the information sunk into Naruto's mind. After a few minutes, Naruto said, "Dad."

"Hm?" Minato arched his eyebrow again. "What is it, Naruto?"

Naruto gave his father a weird look, "You are the dumbest smart person I've ever met."

Minato's eyebrows shot into his hairline.

"Honestly, Dad," Naruto said in an exasperated tone, "that alias is good for enemy territory, but it wouldn't be a big deal if people knew your real name. Now, I'm going on a mission tomorrow, but I expect you to have told everyone about this whole situation by the time I'm back. Okay?"

Minato nodded dumbly, feeling as if he was being scolded again by Jiraiya for messing something up.

With a wry grin, Naruto stood up and headed for bed, throwing a "Good night," over his shoulder.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

A kunai lay embedded in the branch of a dead tree, its loosened wrappings fluttering in the unforgiving wind. The ground was a barren wasteland, weapons strewn about the bare earth like leaves during fall. No life could be found, no growth could be glimpsed. Only the dead could be seen, suits of armor made into caskets for the fallen. Corpses littered the ground. This was a battlefield, one that was either freshly made, or centuries old.

A small group of survivors stood against the harsh winds, a man amongst them whispering over the howling wind, "It's over…we have nowhere left to go."

He kneeled against the earth, clutching to his sword for support. Tears and rain fell down his face, "This is it…our road ends here."

A larger, heavier set man lay on the ground, heavy beads roped around his neck, "It was a fool's decision…doomed from the start…"

A third man, this one sporting a tall hat and leaning against a tree, whispered, "This is the end…we…must turn back…"

A woman stood, the only female of their group, "There is a way. Have faith. I _know_ that we will find it…"

"But…Princess," one of her companions spoke up.

"You mustn't give up!" She said firmly.

"Ah ha ha ha!" a man dressed in feudal samurai clothes stood atop a ruined building, sneering down at them mockingly. "Princess Gale! This is as far as you go!"

"Mao!" One of the men exclaimed, surprised.

Another stood up, shouting angrily, "Don't tell us this storm is _your_ doing!"

An empty suit of armor stood, swinging a sword at the woman. She blasted it apart with a single strike.

Naruto snorted, "Why are we watching this movie again?"

"Kakashi said it had something to do with our next mission," Sasuke said, his face expressionless.

"Oooh! Sasuke-kun! Isn't she just so heroic?" Sakura squealed, clenching her eyes shut.

Naruto sighed, "Yeah, whatever."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto sighed, "Kakashi's late, _again._"

Sasuke shrugged, "So, what else is new?"

Sakura stared up at the sign for the movie they'd just seen, "I wonder why Kakashi-sensei said we'd have to see the movie before our next mission. I mean, that sounds kind of strange, doesn't it?"

Naruto shrugged, despite knowing the answer, and gave an noncommittal, "Eh."

The sound of hooves interrupted all conversation as a horse, with Princess Gale riding it, jumped over the wooden fence they'd been waiting for Kakashi at. Landing on the dirt road, it galloped away down the street, its rider seemingly oblivious to the people she'd just surprised. Sasuke was actually showing emotion.

"No way!" Sakura whispered in awe. "Was that the Princess?"

The sound of more neighing reached their ears as the wooden gate burst open, several more horseman flying out of it and after the princess. Startled, Sakura fell back on her rear as the horses nearly trampled her on their way following the woman. She was pulled from their path by Sasuke, who blushed, then let go of her as if he had been burned.

"After her!" one of the horsemen cried.

"Don't let her escape!" another shouted.

The words seemed to break whatever tension had silenced Sasuke and Sakura, as they nodded to one another and took off. Naruto just sighed and shook his head, palm covering his face in embarrassment.

"Those two," he muttered, sighing. "It's just a movie!"

He set after them at a walking pace, taking his time. He'd know where to find them, if not for the noise the horsemen created then for distinct smell that could only belong to Sasuke and Sakura. He sighed again, "It's just a movie! Jeez, why didn't that cross their minds?"

"Oh, Naruto," Naruto looked behind him, where the voice came from. Kakashi was perched atop the fence, book out and one hand gripping the wooden planks between his feet, looking very much like a giant frog. "Where are Sasuke and Sakura?"

Naruto sighed a third time, motioning with his hands, "Follow me, Sensei."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Sasuke dusted his hands off, looking at his handiwork. All of the men that had been chasing the princess were now tied up securely with no immediate hope of escape. He smirked. Chasing them down and cornering them had been almost too easy. He wished they had been a bit more challenging, so that he might have had some fun with it.

Sakura yanked harder on the rope she was using to tie one of the samurai up, tightening the knot that tied his hands behind his back. She smirked, dusting her own hands off in confident satisfaction. That had been rather easy.

All it had taken was a transformation and a little deception, along with some welcome help from Sasuke, and they had captured all of the men chasing after the princess. The princess herself was probably far away by now, safe and sound from these villainous fiends trying to subdue her.

"Oh dear," Sasuke and Sakura looked up as the voice drifted down. Kakashi stood atop the small shrine in front of them, perched on the support pole like a giant buzzard.

"Oh," Sakura said in recognition, "Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi sighed, hiding his face behind his right hand in embarrassment, "What are you guys doing?"

Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly, "Killing time."

Kakashi vanished for a second, reappearing in front of his two students. All of the ropes that had tied the men up instantly fell to the ground, sliced cleanly off their bodies. There was a snort, and the two Genin looked back to the shrine's roof. Naruto sat on it with his legs crossed, an amused smirk on his lips.

Standing, Naruto hopped down off of the shrine, landing on his feet with barely a sound. His sandals, Sasuke noticed, had white tops with black bottoms and black elastic around the ankle. Naruto rolled his shoulders, "See, Kakashi-sensei, this is why you should be on time."

Kakashi ignored him and helped the man with glasses up, the only man who hadn't been wearing a helmet when Sasuke and Sakura had caught him. Kakashi scratched the back of his head nervously, chuckling, "Gee. I'm _really_ sorry about this."

Sasuke and Sakura stared at Kakashi, bewildered by his actions as the man dusted his clothes off. Kakashi looked once at their confused faces, then explained, "_This_ is the gentleman who hired us for our mission today."

Sakura just stared at him, so he elaborated, "Our mission is to guard Fujikaze Yukie, the actress best known for her role as Princess Gale…Well, maybe not guard so much as…escort."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"We're shooting the next Princess Gale movie abroad," the assistant director, a young man by the name of Shinji, explained to the three Genin, all of whom now stood within the studio of the production. "It's the first one that we'll be shooting abroad, and I don't think I need to explain to you that our leading lady is a bit of a diva."

"I'll tell ya, though," the director took a puff of his pipe, "these Konoha Ninja sure are something. They took care of those stuntmen turned bodyguards we hired like it was nothing. Those were some big fellows, too."

He took another pull on his pipe, looking Naruto up and down, "And this one's probably the most impressive. He's got a determined look in his eyes, like he's ready to kill should the situation arise. Like a predator waiting for his next prey."

Kakashi blinked, "Oh, well…thank you."

Sakura wasn't paying attention to the talk, she was looking at the photos pinned up on the wall next to her. They were mostly pictures of Yukie, ones of her with other people, ones of her with her co-stars, and some of her getting her make up put on in preparation for her movie role. The one that caught Sakura's eyes, though, was a picture of sheer cliffs, their white walls glistening brightly.

"Oh, wow," she whispered, amazed. "Those cliffs are beautiful!"

"That's the Rainbow Glacier, in the Land of Snow," Sakura spun around at the voice, looking up to see two men, one bald, and one bearded. The bald one was the one that spoke, and she recognized him easily.

"You played the role of Burikinto!" she exclaimed.

"That's where we're going to shoot the movie's climactic ending," the other man said, smiling at her.

"You're Hidero!" Sakura said excitedly. "You played Shishimaru!"

"The Land of Snow?" Sasuke interrupted. "That's a long way to go just to shoot some scene for a movie."

"Yukie's manager, Sandayuu, recommended it," the assistant director said, gesturing to the man wearing glasses that the two Genin had tied up. The man bowed to them at the mention of his name. "According to him, this Rainbow Glacier turns seven different colors during the Spring time."

"No," Kakashi said, tone morose, "that's just an old legend. The truth is, there isn't a Spring time in Yuki no Kuni."

"What?" Sasuke asked tonelessly. "Not ever? It's winter _all year long_?"

Kakashi nodded, "Yeah, that's right."

"Kakashi, was it?" the director asked, turning his shaded eyes on the Jounin. "From what I have heard about you, this won't be your first time in the Land of Snow."

"That was a long time ago," Kakashi said somberly.

"They say it's a very poor nation," Sakura jumped as another voice joined the conversation, turning around to see a rather handsome man standing behind her. Sasuke's eye twitched. Did this guy's teeth just _ping_, like Lee's and Gai's?

"Y-you played Sukeakuro!" Sakura squealed with a stutter. "Mitchy-sama, you're so great!"

"Actually, the story is, their former lord had a thing for gadgets, a fetish, if you will," the man continued. "They say he squandered all of the clan's gold on mountains of useless doodads and gizmos, and stuff like that."

"Yeah, well, I just hope they have central heating," Hidero said, a cup of coffee in his hand. He pretended to shiver, "I'm not all that cut out for the cold."

"Maybe you should run for the hills, too, just like Yukie," the bald man said, prodding his coworker teasingly.

"Aw, hey, come on, you guys, that's not even funny!" Shinji whined. All three actors just chuckled at his distress.

"So…does that mean…Yukie…I mean, she's not always like this, is she?" Sakura asked. The three men fell silent, sharing a look with one another.

"Kind of. Yeah," Mitchy said sadly. "Poor Yukie. She's not the kind of person to understand such things like 'dreams' or 'aspirations'."

"But she's never neglected her work," the director insisted. "When that camera is rolling, she plays her part beautifully, never missing a line. She's the finest actress I've ever met, and I don't mind telling you that I've met quite a few."

"Yeah," Sasuke interrupted, "but where is she now? What good does all that do when she's not here at this moment, or when you don't even know where she is?"

"It's true," Shinji admitted, his tone downtrodden, "we don't really know where she is right now. It's just that…ever since she found out we're going to the Land of Snow, she's been trying her hardest to get away from us. It's like she doesn't _want_ to go to Yuki no Kuni."

"I suspect that she doesn't," Kakashi said, hands tucked into his pockets. "It's not my place to specify, but Yukie has some very bad memories of the Land of Snow. If I were her, I probably wouldn't want to go either."

"What kind of memories, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked curiously.

"He's not at liberty to say," Sasuke answered. "And we're not sneaky enough to get it out of him. He's a Jounin, he's been trained to keep secrets for a lot longer than we have."

"Hey, Sasuke-kun," Sakura seemed not to have heard her teammate, "where's Naruto?"

"He left a little while ago," Kakashi answered her this time. "While we were discussing Yukie-san and her quirks, he went to go find her."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Yukie looked at her reflection in the clear glass of her cup, then downed its contents in one gulp. She looked in it again, and a happy, smiling little girl looked back at her with wide, gleeful eyes and a bright smile. The light above her head flickered and the image was replaced by her reflection once again, her eyes dull and her expression downtrodden.

"Bartender!" she called, a slight slur to her words. "Another of the same!"

She stared once more into the glass, watching her sullen appearance disappear into sea of amber as the bartender poured more of her precious booze into the tiny cup. He moved away, probably to tend the another customer, and she took a small sip. This time, when she set the cup down, its contents sloshing slightly, the courageous Princess Gale stared back at her with determination in her gaze.

Gulping the rest of the cup's contents, she jerked her hand to the side, sending the cup into the wall halfway across the bar. It shattered upon contact, each of its tiny glass pieces mocking her with a determined stare or a happy smile. She held her head in her hands, trying to erase the two images from her mind, even though they seemed burned onto the inside of her eyelids.

Vaguely, as if it were on the edge of her consciousness and senses, she heard someone sit down next to her. She didn't even bother to lift her head from her arms, because she didn't really care who was sitting there anyway.

"You know, Yukie-san," the person said, his voice awfully young. Yukie didn't budge an inch. "Each action has a number of different effects it can have. It can serve as a catalyst for something much greater…or much worse."

Yukie was only half-aware of what he was saying, but he continued anyway, "If you ask me, I think what happened in Snow Country years ago…and the things it's suffering from now…are merely the catalysts for something much greater and better."

She picked her head up and glared at him, as though anger that he dared presume so much. In something barely above a hiss, she said, "What do _you_ know? How could _you_ understand?"

Spiky blonde hair, eyes whose crimson depths seemed to swirl, though it could have just been the alcohol messing with her head, and whisker like marks on his cheeks; he was decked out in blacks, whites, and a couple of grays, with a Konoha hitai-ate on his forehead: Uzumaki Naruto. He was smiling at her, sincerely, with no sense of deception in his face.

"Because, Yukie-san…" she could see a depth to his eyes that she hadn't thought they could hold, "…great misfortunes and tragedies, followed by an amazing outcome that far outweighs the bad times…that is the story of my life."

Yukie's eyes widened as a sudden sensation of falling overtook her, the room spinning as she couldn't take her eyes from those swirling red depths. Finally, the spell seemed to take effect and her eyes closed slowly as she collapsed off of her stool. Naruto caught her before she hit the floor, gently picking her up bridal style.

He barely sensed the foreign chakra signature walking outside the door, a frown marring his face.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Was the hexagon crystal in her possession?" a commanding voice asked, the owner's finger tapping impatiently on his throne of a chair.

"I knew it," the light haired ninja kneeling before the man said, "I knew that the actress called Fujikaze Yukie was actually Kazahana Koyuki."

"Those ten years of vigorous searching are finally paying off," a pink haired kunoichi said.

"Heh!" a large, heavyset shinobi chuckled. "This is all too easy!"

"However," the first, light-haired ninja said, "I believe that she is under the protection of not one, but two A-rank ninja: Copy-nin Hatake Kakashi and Shinigami Kazama Naruto."

"_The_ Hatake Kakashi?" the Heavyset one asked. He chuckled, "Sounds like this confrontation was decided by fate!"

"The runt is the one that concerns me, not the Copy ninja," the man in charge said. "As young as he is, he was given the name Konoha no Shinigami. And by one of the Legendary Sannin, no less. He must be very powerful."

"I wouldn't be worried," the female commented. "In each of the battles he participated which earned him that nickname, either Jiraiya the Toad Sennin or the Professor was the teammate he fought alongside. It's unlikely he has any power of his own."

"Heh, heh, Yeah!" the heavyset one chuckled. "He was just at the right place at the right time. I doubt he's even potty trained! Heh, heh!"

The light-haired one smirked, then quietly said, "We'll just have to see, won't we?"

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Nnng…" Yukie covered her eyes with her forearm, trying to block out the sun streaming in the window to her left.

"Are you awake, Yukie-sama?" a familiar voice asked.

"Sandayuu…get me some water. I feel dizzy," she said, rubbing her eyes. "I feel like I'm swaying…am I imagining it?"

"No," came the reply from Sandayuu. "It's not your imagination."

Yukie jumped from her bed in shock and flew to the first door she could find, flinging it open. A wooden deck, sails, and the open sea greeted her eyes, and the shock slowly settled down, morphing into anger, "What the hell is this?!"

Two hours later found Yukie dressed and ready at the sight of the movie's next scene, kneeling on the deck as the stage crew got everything set up for the scene.

"Lights okay!"

"Microphone okay!"

"Camera okay!"

"Start from the test!" the director shouted into his megaphone. "Get in the act!"

"Scene twenty-three Cut six, Take one!" the assistant director said. "Action!"

Team Seven watched, mostly in amazement, as Yukie became a whole different person in front of the camera. She grasped onto the injured-looking Hidero, distress in her tone, "Hold on, Shishimaru!"

"It's useless, Princess," Hidero gasped out, his voice weak.

"What are you saying?" she asked back. "We found our courage because of you!"

"Princess," he said weakly, gasping for air, "I…wanted to see…the other side of the…rainbow with you…"

With a soft thud, his head hit the wooden floor and he stopped moving, seemingly dead.

"Shishimaru!" Yukie called out. There was a pause, then Yukie exhaled impatiently. She waved her hand, "Hang on!"

Several cries of disappointment met her words.

"Sandayuu!" Yukie ignored their anger, waving her manager over. "I need more tears."

Amidst indignant protests, Sandayuu walked over and pulled out a bottle, squeezing a few droplets of its contents into Yukie's eyes.

"Okay!" Yukie shouted as Sandayuu moved away. "Let's do it again! Quickly!"

"Scene twenty-three, Cut six—two! Action!"

"Shishimaru!"

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Director!" Shinji pointed something out to the director. "Serious problem!"

A large iceberg stood stoically in front of the ship Team Seven, Yukie, and her entourage were on. Despite its motionless form, it seemed to be mocking them, telling them that all their hard work was for nothing.

"This happened in the morning. As you can see, the route is covered. What should we do?"

The director had an epiphany, "Come here!"

"The movie is ruined," Shinji sulked, downtrodden.

"You idiot!" the director shouted at him. "Look! This is the perfect location! If you don't film here, where are you going to film?"

Shinji was stumped, "Huh?"

"The movie gods got angry," the director offered for an explanation. Turing, he addressed the group, "Get ready for some climbing!"

An hour later, the entire crew had unloaded the necessary materials and was standing on the giant block of ice and snow.

"We're going to Honbani! Stunt B1!"

"Scene thirty-six, Cut twenty-two! Action!"

"A ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! You came here by mistake, Sky Princess!" the old man playing Mao cackled, waving his staff about madly.

"Stay back, Princess!" Sukeakuro stepped forward. "I'll fight him!"

Mao seemed smug, "Brats or not, you're no match for me!"

He pulled his hand back, as if to launch some attack, when an explosion from behind nearly knocked him off his feet. No longer acting, the old man turned to where it had occurred, "What was that?"

Before anyone knew what was happening, Kakashi stood in front of Yukie, which confused the actors quite a bit.

"Hey!" Sukeakuro shouted indignantly. "What do you think you're doing!"

"Kakashi," Yukie murmured, "what—?

Kakashi paid their queries no notice, "Everyone, get back!"

As the smoke cleared, a man could be seen standing there, his ears obscured by some sort of hat. He wore a smirk and a white bodysuit, "Welcome to the Land of Snow."

Kakashi's eye widened, "You are—!"

"I welcome you, Koyuki," a pink-haired kunoichi said, standing on an outcropping. "Did you bring the Hexagon Crystal?"

Alarmed, Kakashi looked back at Yukie, "Koyuki?!"

"Heh, ha, ha!" a third, much larger shinobi appeared. "As expected of the great Hatake Kakashi! We meet again!"

Kakashi nearly growled.

"Sakura, Sasuke!" both Genin snapped to attention at being addressed. "You two guard Yukie! Naruto…I'm going to need your help.

"Everyone! Return to the ship!"

"Fubuki, Mizore," the light-haired ninja addressed his comrades, "let's get Princess Yukie."

In a flash, Fubuki and Mizore had left their perches while Kakashi raced towards the last of the three snow ninja. He glared at his opponent, a grudge if he'd ever had one.

"It's been a long time, Kakashi," the light-haired nin stated nonchalantly. "This time, you won't escape from me."

"Rouda Narare," was all Kakashi said.

In an instant, they dashed towards each other, Kakashi blocking Rouda's knife-hand chop with his left arm. Then, he dodged out of the way of a kick that would have sent him flying. Pushing away from one another, they catapulted off of the ground and at each other again.

They clashed a second time, pushing against one another before landing on separate sides of the narrow canyon. To the cast and crew still loading up onto the ship, it looked like a scene right out of some movie or other.

Naruto set his sights on the heavyset man, who suddenly pulled a snowboard out of nowhere and used it to move down the icy slope faster. Sasuke threw one of his Windmill Shuriken, watching in shock as it shattered on Mizore's body armor. "What?!"

"Hyôton: Tsubame Fubuki!"

Sasuke leapt to the side of the rain of frozen sparrows, flashing through hand seals as he turned to the pink-haired Fubuki. He stopped on tiger, taking in a deep breath, "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

A great ball of fire raced forth, melting the remaining ice birds. Planting his feet firmly, Sasuke heard Sakura yell out for everyone to return to the ship. He scowled, preparing for one of the most difficult battles of his life.

"Hyôton," Fubuki kneeled, pressing her fingers to the iceberg, "Hyôroro no Jutsu!"

Sasuke jumped back as pillars of frozen mass rose up and towards him, going through more hand seals. He took a deep breath, blowing out another fireball. Fubuki smirked as a column of ice rose up, turning to steam as the fire collided with it.

Mizore jumped off of his snowboard, leaping towards Naruto with his ironclad fist pulled back for a punch. Naruto brought his left arm up, using the armor plate on the top of his forearm to block it. Balling his right hand into a fist, Naruto unleashed his full strength on the man's stomach. His eyes went wide as the man stood still, not bothered by his counterattack. Mizore hit him with his other fist, knocking Naruto into one of the ice pillars Fubuki had summoned.

Kakashi turned around at the sound of Naruto crashing into the pillar, going through seals as a column of swirling water rose out of the ocean, "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

Mizore jumped out of the way as a dragon of water crashed into the spot he'd previously been occupying.

"Risk your life and keep shooting!" the director shouted. "Take pride in our work!"

Naruto stood up, back to back with Kakashi, "Sensei, what is that armor?"

'_I should remember it, but I don't! Damn!"_

"It's Snow Country's armor, designed specifically for each ninja," Kakashi explained. "It's chakra armor. They use it to power up."

"You remember?" Rouda seemed impressed. "This armor expands my internal chakra and strengthens my techniques. It creates a wall of chakra around the body, so yours and other's chakra are weaker. Ninjutsu and Genjutsu are useless."

"_**Ninjutsu and Genjutsu are useless, huh?"**_ Rouda nearly recoiled when Naruto turned to face him, a bone white skull mask on his face. He lifted his clenched hand, a ball of energy gathering at the tips of his outstretched middle and index fingers. _**"I'll just have to try something a little more…potent. Cero."**_

An orange-ish yellow beam leapt forth, and, despite his claims of the armor's resistance, Rouda and his comrades jumped out of the way. The beam collided with the icy slope behind where they'd been standing, searing a hole straight through it and out the other side.

Rouda looked back to see the mask gone, suddenly realizing why he was called the Konoha no Shinigami. That beam would have just as easily gone right through his chest, incinerating his heart and lungs in an instant.

Simultaneously, three people went through a stream of hand seals.

"Hyôton: Haryuu Mouko!" (Destruction Dragon Super Emptiness)

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

"Sôkaton: Sôkaryuuha!" (Azure Fire Style: Azure Fire Dragon Wave)

A dragon of snow leapt from the mountains, colliding with a dragon of water that flew from the ocean. A third dragon came from the land, made of swirling blue flames. It rushed forward, its target rushing through more seals as he scowled at his impressive opponents. He slammed his hands down, a thick pillar of ice rising up in front of him.

Kakashi shot Naruto a questioning look. Naruto smirked, "Like Mokuton and Hyôton, Sôkaton is a combination of two different elemental chakra types: Fire and Lightning. The result is a fire technique that is only slightly affected by water, so it's capable of evaporating your Suiryuudan."

Jumping up, Naruto landed in front of Rouda, his hand alight with blue flames. Scowling, Rouda flashed through more seals, slapping his hand on the icy wall next to him as Naruto's fiery palm came towards him. A slab of ice intercepted the fire, evaporating as Naruto's new and improved Taiyoushin Ittou Tansen melted through it.

Rouda became alarmed when that flaming fist quickly broke through his barrier, colliding solidly with his chest. His armor, however, would not give him up without a fight, and repelled the attack, extinguishing the azure fire. Much to Rouda's dismay, the mechanics of his suit were damaged severely. He punched the blonde, blinking when the boy grabbed his arm.

"Bunshin," Rouda looked to the side, where a second Naruto stood on one of the glacier's pillars, "Daibakuha."

The Naruto holding Rouda's arm exploded in a blaze of fire and chakra, incinerating the ice around him in an instant.

Mizore, once more on his snowboard, slid down the mountain slope towards Yukie, who was kneeling on the ground reliving her bad memories of Yuki no Kuni. Mizore lifted his hand and ropes shot out, wrapping around Yukie. Sakura quickly cut them off with a kunai, courageously facing towards a superior enemy.

"You little bitch!" Mizore yelled angrily, raising his fist.

He didn't get any farther, as Naruto's fist collided with his face. He stood again, growling angrily, "You little brat!"

He punched, first with his ironclad hand, then with his normal hand. Naruto grabbed them both and immediately started an inverted game of tug-o-war, pushing against the behemoth in front of him. Mizore scowled as he looked into Naruto swirling, Sharingan eyes.

Fubuki smirked as one of her ice pillars finally caught up to Sasuke, engulfing him in the frozen mass. Her smirk disappeared, however, when Sasuke was replaced with a backpack with an explosive note on it. The explosion shattered the ice pillar, making her unprepared for the wires that shot forth and tied her to another pillar. As fire rushed along the wires, a set of wings opened up from the metal disk on her back, setting her free. She took to the air at the last second.

"What are you doing?" Naruto turned his head slightly, glaring at Yukie as she trembled. "Hurry up and go!"

"No…"

"Princess, let's hurry and return!" Sandayuu insisted. "Hurry up if you value your life! You will die for sure if you stay!"

"No!" Yukie shouted, clutching her head. "I won't leave Snow Country!"

Naruto glared, "You're being very self—!"

He was cut off as Mizore took advantage of his distraction and tossed him to the side. Naruto collided with the ground and disappeared with a pop and a small cloud of smoke. Free of the encumbering boy, Mizore aimed his arm and his iron hand shot forth, connected to him by a wire. Sakura dove in front of it and he scowled, jerking his arm and sending her into the snow. She was unconscious.

Yukie chose that moment to collapse.

"Princess!" Sandayuu cried.

Kakashi turned to help but Rouda wouldn't allow it. He yelled, "Your fight is with me! Hyôton: Itsukaku Hakuegei!" (Section Beluga)

A creature resembling a whale rose from the ice, blocking Kakashi's path. He stopped, silent for a few seconds. Then, he said, "I see. That's a powerful Jutsu."

He pulled up his hitai-ate, revealing the Sharingan, "Then _I_ will fight you. Naruto! Get everyone to safety."

Nodding, Naruto left Kakashi to fight Rouda.

The two ninja flew through identical seals, "Hyôton: Itsukaku Hakuegei!"

Two icy whale-like beasts, both nearly identical, rose from the terrain and crashed into one another, collapsing onto the iceberg. The footholds starting to crumble, several Naruto clones jumped down towards the ship, actors and other crew members on their shoulders.

As the boat sailed away, the iceberg split into pieces, falling into the sea.

"Cut!" the director yelled.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Sandayuu-san…you knew it, didn't you?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes…" came the reply.

"You know what would happen if the princess returns to Snow Country."

"It was my only way to bring the princess back."

"So Yukie is a real princess?" Naruto asked the question he knew his teammates wanted to but wouldn't.

"Yes," Kakashi answered, "Fujikaze Yukie is using a fake name. Her real name is Kazahana Koyuki, the heiress to the Snow Country throne."

"She might not remember, now," Sandayuu said, "but when she was young, I was by her side. I served her father, Kazahana Sousetsu. The Kingdom was small but peaceful. Sousetsu-sama loved the princess very much.

"Everyday, he spent time with her. However, ten years ago, Dotou, Sousetsu-sama's little brother, hired ninja and revolted. He took over the kingdom. When I found her, she was already an actress."

"It would have been better if I had died that day," Yukie said, standing in the door.

"Please don't say such things," Sandayuu said. "You're alive, and that brings us great hope."

"I haven't cried since that day," she said. "My body may be alive, but my heart died a long time ago."

"Princess Yukie!" Sandayuu bowed, kneeling on the floor. "You must overthrow Dotou and become the new queen!"

"I don't want to."

"But the people of Snow Country!" Sandayuu protested.

"It's none of my business," Yukie insisted coldly. "You should know when to give up! No matter what you do, you can never beat Dotou!"

"If you truly believe that, then you never will," Naruto told her, his tone icy. "Below the courageous, there is nothing.' Those are my father's words, and he's absolutely right. To accomplish anything, you must have courage and you must persevere. Giving up is _never_ an option. Those below the courageous…don't even deserve to be described in the human tongue."

"People dream because they never give up. You can see your future when you find your dream," the director said. "Not too bad. That's the perfect theme for the final chapter of the Sky Princess."

"Y-you want to," Shinji, the assistant director, stuttered, "continue the movie?"

"Didn't I mention it?" the director, Enishi, asked. "We're going to make this into a movie! Imagine it! A real princess acting in it! This is a once in a lifetime chance!"

"Really!" Shinji grinned. "Then the topic would be a big one!"

"Without any fuss, people will accept it," the director said.

"Wait!" Yukie started to protest.

"You've no other choice, now," Kakashi told her. "Dotou knows that you're alive, so you've no place to hide."

"Stop talking such nonsense!" Yukie shouted. "Reality and movies are different things! There's not happy ending in reality!"

"You can overcome that!" Enishi insisted.

"We should probably go home for some back up, but…" Kakashi commented.

"We've got three Sharingan users, two swordsmen, and three avatars. The three of us should be enough for this mission," Sasuke said.

"Then it's decided. We'll continue," Enishi said.

"Let's make a happy ending!" Shinji shouted excitedly.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto stared into the large cavern, pulling his white cloak tighter around his body. The Empty Demon Suit served as a bit more insulation that normal ninja clothes, but it wasn't enough to keep him completely warm, and the snow was pretty deep. So he'd taken to wearing geta, like Jiraiya, and a pair of tabi for the duration of his stay in Snow Country.

"All our crew gathered at the other side of this cave," Sandayuu said. "Once we're finished with our work here, we'll join them."

Less than an hour later, the entire group was inside one of the vehicles, which was carrying them through the cavern. Naruto was sipping some tea, a habit that he'd picked up after several years of dining with Hiashi.

"This place used to have a railway," Sandayuu commented. "It extended all the way into Tsurara…but the tracks are frozen beneath the ice."

They stopped outside near a cliff, everyone unloading their materials. The director stepped out of his trailer, shouting, "All right! Let's begin!"

"Director! Big problem!" Shinji cried. "It's Yukie! She's run away again!"

Sighing, Naruto and his team leapt off the cliff to search for her.

"Now," Kakashi said to them, "Everyone split up to find her. If you do find her, contact the rest of us via radio!"

"Roger!" all three of his students said.

They split up, each one going a different direction. Watching his teammates each go their separate ways, Naruto turned in a specific direction, knowing where Yukie would run to. He took off in a flash of white.

After roughly an hour of searching, Naruto landed on the ground, barely making a sound. He walked forward, towards Yukie's downed form, and kneeled. Quietly, he told her, "This is the last time you're running away. Everyone is waiting for you."

Picking her up, he hoisted her onto his back and carried her towards the others. They came upon the cavern from before and he continued through it, never pausing or faltering. Then, after being silent for so long, she spoke, "Why do you always find me?"

"Because it's my mission," he said. "It doesn't matter to me if you hate it or run away. I know how you feel."

"Fine," she said. "Let's go back. All I can do is act for the camera."

Naruto sighed, "You know, you remind me of this little boy I know. He cried all the time as soon as he thought no one was watching, and he scorned everyone who tried to free his country from an evil man, telling them it was hopeless. He even yelled at me, calling me stupid for thinking I could defeat Gatou.

"Well, one day, when he was about to lose his most precious person, he decided to go against his own words and fought Gatou, if indirectly. He was willing to give up his life, and he would have, if not for some timely intervening on my part. After that, he smiled up at me, and thanked me for everything I'd done."

"So?" Yukie mumbled. "How does this apply to me?"

"Because, Yukie-san," Naruto said firmly, "you're just like Inari was before he met me."

There was a sudden sound and Naruto stopped, stiffening in preparation. A light lit up the cavern, and a rumbling sound met his ears. After performing three hand seals, Naruto took off as fast as he could without injuring his passenger, Yukie screaming as she clung to his neck.

As the train got closer, Naruto leapt through the tunnel opening and to the side, crashing into the snow bank. Dislodged from Naruto, Yukie fell face first into the snow. The train thundered on past, several feet from their location.

"It's been a long time, Koyuki," Yukie looked up to the man who had spoken. He stood on top of the train, which had stopped not long after it had exited the cave. Her face darkened.

"Kazahana Dotou," Yukie said icily.

"It's been twelve years," Dotou said. "Come closer. Let me get a better look at your face."

Naruto glared at the man, standing in between him and Yukie.

"Eh?" Dotou arched an eyebrow.

There was a large rumbling, and everyone turned their eyes towards the cliff, where several logs clambered down the slope and crashed into the train. Sandayuu and several other men dressed in armor stood at the top, assembled as an army.

"Everyone! Come and see our Princess Koyuki!" Sandayuu cried. "If we fight alongside her, we can win this war!"

Cheers of valor rose to greet his proclamation.

Sandayuu drew his katana, "Kazahana Dotou! You know how long we have awaited this day! Today we will end all the hatred which has acclimated over the ages, and we will avenge our late king, Kazahana Sousetsu-sama!"

Naruto glanced to the right and saw the director and his camera crew filming under the cover of a tarp.

"So," Dotou drawled, "the likes of you are still alive."

"Sorry," Rouda apologized, "we'll take care of them."

"No," Dotou said, "let's give them a taste of…'helplessness'."

Sandayuu and his men charged forward as Dotou pressed a button, prompting several compartments to open up on the train's side. The men slowed their descent only slightly, then started screaming as hundreds of kunai launched from the train without any specific target.

"Shit!" Naruto swore, yanking his own sword loose. With a single mighty swing, an arc of white energy flew forth, crashing into the train and destroying several of the kunai guns. "Getsuga Tenshô!"

The damage, however, had already been done. His counterattack had been too late, for the entire army had been defeated before he'd even pulled his sword from its sheath. Sandayuu, the only one left standing and injured beyond help, collapsed backwards as Sasuke leapt onto the scene.

Pulling out a kunai, he threw it at one of the barrels controlling the guns, an explosive tag dangling from its end. It exploded, destroying that particular turret.

From up on the cliff, Sakura tossed a wad of explosive notes, which then exploded and caused an avalanche to bury a portion of the train. The intact part of the train detached from its hindquarters and sped on down the tracks.

Sasuke made to follow, but Kakashi jumped down and stopped him, "Wait, Sasuke. Don't go after them."

"Princess," Sandayuu called weakly. Yukie kneeled beside him. "Sincerely sorry…to get you…tangled up in this…We gathered…because of the princess…and we never gave up…"

"Sandayuu," Yukie protested, "don't—"

Sandayuu interrupted her, grasping her leg firmly, "Please believe in yourself…as we believed…in our princess…I fought and died for this belief…so please…don't cry…"

With a final sigh, he went limp.

"You're an idiot, Sandayuu," Yukie told him. "You have my eye drops."

Standing, she turned and started walking with only three words, "Let's go back."

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked her coldly. "This is your home! You want to go back? Then fight for the home that was taken from you!"

"You don't know anything," she replied icily. "There's no spring in Snow Country. It's a place that freezes your tears, even your heart."

She turned and continued walking. Naruto walked up to her, grabbing her by the wrist, "Wait."

She pulled her arm from his grasp, "Get away!"

There was a sudden swooshing sound as a blimp-like object dove into view, Mizore standing in the open doorway. He aimed, and his hand shot forth, grabbing Yukie and pulling her towards him. As soon as she was safely aboard, a rain of kunai with little blue balls attached came down on Sasuke and Kakashi, who had rushed forwards to try and save Yukie. The moment one of the kunai hit the ground, they caused spikes of ice to pop up, spearing whatever was in their way.

Sasuke landed on top of one to the spikes, on its flat side, a safe distance from any of its pointy spines. "Sakura!" he yelled. "Where's Naruto?"

"I don't see him, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called back. To herself, she muttered, "That idiot; he couldn't have!"

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Koyuki, you have become beautiful," Dotou said to her, where she sat on the couch. "Do you have the Hexagon Crystal with you?"

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"Good, it is the only thing that connects us as one family," Dotou said, all pretense abandoned. "This is also the key for the treasure."

"The key for the treasure?" Yukie asked.

"When I took over the country, the Kazahana family left me with nothing!" Dotou explained. "Sousetsu must have hidden his treasure somewhere else. My search took a long time, but I finally found it! It's hidden in the Rainbow Glacier. We saw a hole for a hexagon shaped crystal. If we got our hands on the Kazahana family treasure, then we'd have an army stronger than the five ninja nations!

"Now," he turned to her, since he'd been pacing around in his rant, "give me the crystal!"

Reaching up behind her neck, she pulled the crystal off and handed in to him. As he took it though, his smirk quickly turned into a frown. "This is…"

He grabbed Yukie by her coat, lifting her off the floor, "Do you take me for a fool? This is fake!"

Eyes wide, Yukie whispered, "Hatake…Kakashi!"

"What?" Dotou asked.

"Ah, now I understand," Rouda said. "He's the kind of guy to do something like that. We'll bring Kakashi here immediately."

"There's no need to do that, they'll come to us soon," Dotou commented slyly, thrusting Yukie onto the couch. "We just have to wait."

Hours later found Yukie locked in a prison cell with no hope of escape. She just sat on the floor, staring at the bars impassively. No emotion flitted across her face; not fear, anger, sorrow, guilt, or even boredom. She was numb, uncaring of the events happening around her.

There was a light clambering and something metal fell off, a person dropping down from the ceiling within the dark room. Bright blue eyes turned to her and she recognized the person as Naruto. He walked up to her cell, stroking the bars gently. He flicked one lightly, listening as it hummed metallically, then smirked.

"Stay still," he commanded, pulling his sword from its sheath. He walked over to the edge of the door, slashing downwards over the hinges. She almost arched an eyebrow when nothing happened, but her eyes widened as he pulled on the door's bars and it came right out of place, leaving a hole in jail cell.

As Naruto motioned for her to follow him, there was a loud explosion that rocked the building. There was a shout from two men down the hall, who had undoubtedly come to check on her. A swoosh met her ears and, before she knew what was happening, Naruto had already knocked them unconscious without seeming to have moved an inch from where he stood.

Grabbing her by the hand, he pulled her towards the exit, twisting around corners and rushing over bridges. She tried to memorize there turns: left, right, right, left, left, right, right, left, right, right, left, left, right. As they crossed over one bridge, however, a snow ninja appeared, standing between them and their path to safety. Naruto took a step forward, fingering his sword's hilt.

"Wait, Naruto!" the ninja waved his hands, reaching up to pull off his disguise. Kakashi looked back at him, "it's me."

Naruto let out a sigh of relief, "Kakashi-sensei."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Kakashi said. "The princess seems alright."

Yukie glared, "Did you exchange the fake Hexagon Crystal?"

"I'm sorry," Kakashi handed her the real thing, "but it seemed like a good idea."

"All of this for nothing," she muttered.

Footsteps echoed and two people appeared where Naruto had come from, each wearing a tan cloak. Sakura yelled, "Don't come this way! Their security is tight!"

Yukie leading the way, the entire group headed down the path, making for the apparent exit. They followed Yukie into a large room, much like a throne room, with a large chair situated atop a platform. A man stood off of his seat.

"Dotou!" Kakashi yelled.

"Good work, Koyuki," Dotou said proudly.

Breaking into a run, Yukie fled up the stairs, Fubuki, Mizore, and Rouda blocking the ninja from following her. Handing the Hexagon Crystal to Dotou, she turned to Team Seven, "It seems you were mistaken. After all…I am an actress."

"You see," Dotou preened victoriously, "you should never have opposed me! I hold all the cards. And Yukie…she fooled you so easily! It was an act the whole time!"

"Yes…" Yukie muttered hollowly, "it's an act."

Pulling a short sword from seemingly nowhere, she turned around and stabbed Dotou with all her might.

"What?" Dotou gasped, staring at his niece with shock.

"Damn!" he reached out, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off her feet.

"If I'm going to die," Yukie forced out, glaring at Dotou "then I'm…at least…going to…"

She twisted the knife. With a wince, Dotou stumbled backwards, still holding onto his niece, dangerously close to the edge of the platform. With a final gasp, they fell off of the pillar that held the throne and onto the floor.

Out of nowhere, Naruto rushed over to the fallen bodies, reaching for Yukie. Before he could so much as shake her, however, Dotou's fist came up and smashed into his face, dispelling the Kage Bunshin in a puff of smoke. The real Naruto frowned, rubbing his cheek.

"This toy knife can't kill me!" Dotou laughed, shedding his cloak. "That's right! This is the newest chakra armor!"

He picked Yukie up, tucking her under one arm, "Come on. Let's go, Koyuki, to the other side of the rainbow!"

Mechanical wings spreading from the back of his armor, Dotou took off through the broken ceiling. As the building started to collapse, the snow ninja spread their own wings and took off after him. Cursing, Team Seven left for the exit as Naruto leapt after Dotou.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

A man with short blue hair and orange-tinted sunglasses stared at the beautiful young girl encased in crystal, a soft smile on his face. Gently, he ran his fingers, gloved in azure cloth, over smooth crystal, imagining that he was touching the girl's soft cheek.

"Yes, Aina," he whispered, "soon, you shall be avenged."

He smiled softly, "Yes. And then I shall join you where you are, on the other side of the rainbow."

Rubbing the condensation from his breath off of the crystal, he let out a soft, loving sigh, "Yes, my dearest Aina. Soon, we shall be reunited."

The girl did not respond, her eyes closed in eternal slumber within the crystal. Her silvery hair remained motionless, untouched by time, wind, and man. She seemed, to all whom might glimpse her, to be frozen in amber, forever preserved as she was.

Ovan winced, "Ugh!"

He stumbled backwards, clutching at his head as a terrible pain overcame him, like some ravenous beast clawing at his skull, trying to split it open. He knew this pain well, as it had been the cause for his little sister's predicament.

"No," his voice was harsher, as though it didn't belong to him, "we still have a task to accomplish, one that you cannot weasel your way out of, _boy_."

He keeled over, clutching at his left arm as the tightly bound white wrappings began to burn off. Gasping in pain, his right hand glowed blue and the fire instantly disappeared. Panting, he said to the air, "There's…no more time."

His words echoed into the endless white around him, reaching out into the ceaseless emptiness that gave him comfort. Ovan had done what many had dreamed of; he'd made an alternate reality, a sort of pocket dimension, where none could reach him or desecrate the resting place of his beloved sibling.

Ovan took no pride in this accomplishment, however, for the price he had paid to make it real was one steeper than he was willing to pay. In that sense, he wished he'd never had the need or desire to build the place, as it had cost him the most precious thing he had possessed: his little sister.

He stood straight, still clutching his left arm as the fingers on his hand twitched, still breathing heavily, "Are you ready, Naruto-kun? Are you prepared for the battle to come?"

That was his purpose, now, to achieve the reason for his existence, then to die. It was to his good fortune that both parts of his desire could be granted by the same person at the same time. All he needed was to reveal his hand, and all would fit into place. Then, he could finally rest, for all of eternity.

He bent over, grunting in pain as the wrappings began to burn again. Gritting his teeth, his hand glowed blue and the fire disappeared once more. Gasping desperately for air, he said, "There's…no more time."

Sweat poured down his forehead as he pushed against the creature trying to encroach upon his mind, forcing it to calm down. He would not allow the beast control, not after it had done such a thing to the one whom mattered most to him.

He looked back up at the young girl, no more than ten years old, encased in the clear crystal, "Soon, Aina. It will all be over soon. Then your big brother will be there for you again."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Dotou dropped Yukie on her butt, walking over to the altar in the middle of the snow. Grinning greedily, he put the Hexagon Crystal in the opening in the altar, watching as it sunk and the altar glowed. The glow extended along the ground and to the glaciers surrounding them, lighting them up beautifully.

"Where is the treasure?" Dotou asked eagerly, ignoring the beautiful radiance of the glaciers. "Where is the _treasure_?"

Steam rose around him as the ice and snow began to melt, revealing patches of green grass.

"Warm," Yukie commented. "This is…"

"Where is this heat coming from?" Dotou asked angrily, brow knit in frustration. "Isn't this where the Kazahana family treasure is?"

"Princess!" a familiar voice called.

Dotou and Yukie looked over the snow bank, where a cart pulled up carrying Naruto, the director, the assistant director, and the cameraman. As they got closer, Naruto jumped off, dashing towards her and Dotou at a great speed.

"Damn!" Dotou swore, going through handseals. "Hyôton: Kokuryuu Houfuusetsu!" (Black Dragon Blizzard)

Dotou punched the air, sending a black dragon towards the blonde. Scoffing, Naruto reached for his sword as the beast came closer, baring its fangs at him. There was a crash, and a cloud of dust and snow exploded where Naruto had been.

"Naruto!" Yukie cried. Dotou smirked victoriously, but it quickly dropped as a gust of wind blew the cloud away from his enemy.

A translucent white hexagon stood in front of Naruto, who was unscathed, his sword poised as if he were blocking something. Naruto smirked, "Your dragon…was slightly impressive."

He pointed to a crack in the hexagon, "After all, he managed to damage my shield. That's something not many can lay claim to."

"Damn you!" Dotou pulled back his fist, a black aura surrounding it again, "Die!"

Naruto smirked as a black fire lit up around the blade of his sword, burning incessantly. He held Zangetsu back, saying, "Let's see if your dragon matches up to mine! Kokuryuuha!" (Black Dragon Wave)

With an upward swing, a dragon made of black fire leapt from in front of Naruto, rushing towards his prey as another dragon made of ice and wind raced towards Naruto. Thrashing about wildly, Naruto's dragon kicked up a cloud of snow and dust as it plowed through Dotou's, dispersing it instantly. It continued on until it collided with Dotou, who screamed in terror as it threatened to swallow him whole.

Unfortunately, the dragon wasn't strong enough to do more than break Dotou's armor, dispersing itself as its power ran dry. It had done its job, though, as the chakra shield that protected Dotou had been destroyed, leaving the evil tyrant nearly defenseless.

As Dotou stumbled backwards, wary of any attack that may come from within the dust cloud, Naruto rushed through said cloud, dispersing it instantly with his speed, a multicolored Rasengan in his hand; it was reflecting the light of the Rainbow Glaciers. Dotou could only watch, horror in his gaze, as twin, swirling red orbs grew steadily closer.

"I believe in you, Naruto!" Yukie cried. "The Sky Princess acknowledges you as the strongest ninja!"

"This is the end! Your future is death!" Naruto shouted, driving his attack home, right in Dotou's unprotected chest. "Rasengan!"

His mouth snapping open in agony, Dotou flew across the ice, crashing into one of the glaciers and nearly shattering it. With the force of the impact and the power of Naruto's technique, added on to the speed with which he had collided, there was only one possible condition he could be in. He was undoubtedly dead.

As the ice and snow melted, Naruto stood, laying his hand on the hilt of his sword. Yukie, crouched at a rock, watched in wonder as a field of flowers appeared before her eyes, a small meadow surrounding her. She smiled, "Good job, Naruto."

A loud clapping interrupted any celebrations as a man dressed in white with short blue hair made his presence known, leaning against one of the glaciers and smiling sincerely. He spoke with an aloof air about him, "Yes, good job indeed, Naruto."

Naruto's sword was drawn again, faster than Yukie could track. "Who are you?"

The man stood straight, adjusting the orange-tinted glasses on his face, "I am…well, I suppose you could call me Ovan."

Never taking his eyes off of the man, he slowly shuffled over, standing in front of Yukie, "Why are you here?"

Ovan simply smiled, his voice soft and airy, "I am here to start and end the war between _your_ Avatar…and mine."

"Naruto!" the other members of Team Seven arrived at the scene, standing atop the hill. They looked at Ovan warily, prepared for any hostile move from him.

"Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto commanded, a barely noticeable waver in his voice. "Take the princess and go!"

"Yes, that would be wise, wouldn't it, Naruto-kun?" Ovan asked. "If they decided to become involved, things could get quite messy. It's best if this is just between _us_."

"I have no reason to fight you," Naruto told him, watching out of the corner of his eye as his teammates moved to a safer distance. "What reason would you give me to do so?"

"Oh my, you didn't know?" Ovan asked, a smirk on his face. "Were you not suspicious of how thorough Orochimaru's plans were? Of how easily he managed to not only mark Sasuke, but to attack the Hokage as well? Even going so far as to kill the Kazekage and take his place?"

"What are you saying?" Naruto asked guardedly.

"What I'm saying, Naruto-kun, is that Orochimaru could not have accomplished these things alone," Ovan said matter-of-factly. "In fact, were it not for one single person, he would never have managed to accomplish what he did to such a great extent. This one single person is the one who gave him what he needed to do what he did. This person…helped him perfect the Curse Seal and taught him not only Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei, but the very Jutsu he uses to preserve his immortality. Do you know who this person is?"

Naruto stared, a look of horror on his face, "No…"

"That's not all this person did, Naruto-kun," Ovan continued. "He also taught Nagato, the man now known as Pein, the leader of Akatsuki, how to extract the Kyuu no Bijuu from their vessels. Do you know who this person is? Do you know why he did this?"

Naruto slowly shook his head, backing away slightly.

"That person," Ovan adjusted his glasses again, smirking, "is me. As for why…"

He looked to the sky, "It was such a small seed. I wanted to see it grow."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked quietly.

Ovan looked back at him, "I did all of this for you, Naruto-kun. I did it so that you would grow stronger, and so that you would have the motivation to do so. I did it so that you would become strong enough to destroy me."

"It was all for my sake?" Naruto asked in disbelief. A thought seemed to strike him, and his eyes went wide.

"No," Naruto whispered. "You're him. The Anti-Existence."

"Very astute, Naruto-kun," Ovan grinned. "Yes, my Avatar is the Anti-Existence of yours. Just as you carry Skeith the Terror of Death, I carry Cubia the Hidden One. Now…"

Ovan began to glow blue as the glaciers rumbled from his power, "show me your Avatar! Your grim reaper! And use it to destroy me!"

Ovan clenched his fist, wincing as the white wrappings on his arm burned, "Come, the Hidden One! Cubia!"

Naruto turned to his comrades, even as he began to glow red, "Run!"

Turning back to his opponent, Naruto bit his cheek to keep from growling, "Come on! Come on! I'm right here! SKEITH!"

In a flash of red, Skeith rejoined the world, but there was something different about him. Naruto looked down at Skeith's hands in shock, noticing that the body was no longer black…or one whole piece. This new Skeith had a chest and head of white, with black thin black stripes running down it vertically, its crescent crown still pitch black and its eyes still numbering at three. Where the bottom four ribs would be was black, and there was no stomach, just a dark floating ball that seemed the focal point for the black pelvis and the straight, unattached legs, which, though white and blue, still possessed no feet.

The thin arms, also independent of the chest, were colored similarly to the legs, the palms black and the fingers golden. Eight swords made of red energy, their hilts naught but black rectangles, floated behind him like a cape.

"_What the?"_ Naruto was puzzled. "Skeith got an upgrade."

"**That was my doing," **the fox told him. **"I did it when you achieved Bankai. That sudden onrush of power was the excellent catalyst for his transformation."**

"Alright, Ovan!" Naruto shouted, drawing Skeith's arms back. The eight swords disappeared to form a scythe of pure energy. "This is where it ends!"

The beast known as Cubia, which looked very similar to Ovan himself, simply growled, holding out its palm and gathering energy in the form of a ball. The ball launched towards him, its speed nearly catching Naruto off guard. Skeith swung his scythe, an arch of energy shooting out and cleaving the ball in half. Then, rushing forward, he grabbed Cubia by the neck and soared into the air until Kakashi and Team Seven were naught but specks on the ground.

There, Cubia broke free, rapidly firing blasts of energy at Skeith. Skeith dodged to the right, firing his greenish blasts. They caught Cubia off guard, colliding solidly with its body, but seemed to do no more than shock it.

Skeith swung its scythe, firing an arc of energy at Cubia, who dodged to the right, shooting a rain of purple needles. Skeith swung three times, destroying the needles that had gotten close and sending three arcs of energy that destroyed the rest.

Suddenly, a very familiar object formed around Cubia's wrist, three prongs cutting it into four sections. It charged up, sending a ball of power to mark its target. His scythe disappearing and the swords reappearing, Skeith caught the ball with his left hand, trying to deflect it. It proved too powerful, however, and he brought his other hand forward, twisting his body and pushing to the right. The ball of energy flew off at an angle, missing Skeith and the bracelet around Cubia's wrist disappearing. It seemed to growl.

An aura of purple surrounded the beast as it drew its arm in around itself, twisting to the side as if to throw something. It spoke, its voice a distorted, darker version of Ovan's, "Variant Summon!"

Swinging its arm, large, pinkish creatures appeared in front of Cubia, floating slowly but surely over to Naruto. Spreading his Avatar's arms, Naruto could see, through Skeith's eyes, a small green circle surround each of the creatures the Anti-Existence had summoned, then the circle quickly turned orange. He felt a power build up in his body, releasing it and watching as curved beams lanced from the swords hovering behind him and destroyed each beast.

Cubia rushed forwards, slashing with its clawed hands at Skeith's chest. Taken by surprise, Naruto let out a shout of pain as Cubia's claws scratched at his Avatar, as if attempting rip open his ribcage. As Cubia's arm drew back for another attack, Skeith backhanded it, flying backwards as it unleashed several rapid-fire blasts at his enemy.

Cubia held its hands in front of itself, another ball of purple energy forming in front of the Anti-Existence's palms. Growling, it called out, "Clinch Needle!"

The ball exploded into a concentrated spray of purple needles, heading directly for Skeith. Pulling his arms back, the scythe reappeared in Skeith's hands, and he swung several times, releasing several energy arcs to destroy his enemy's attack. Not one of the needles made it to their target.

Cubia soared forward, taking a vicious swipe at Skeith with its claws, its cape of blue energy fluttering in the wind, but Skeith dodged to the side, carving a slash into the beast. The scythe vanishing, Skeith unleashed four quick blasts into the new cut, watching as his enemy recoiled angrily.

Leaning back, Cubia's form began to glow with a bright orange light, not all that unlike the sun. Naruto could sense an enormous amount of energy gathering, and became alarmed as it reached the point where it could annihilate Konoha with a single blow, "Celestial Wrath!"

Rushing forward to prevent the cataclysm, the scythe appeared again and Skeith swung, tearing a cut into Cubia's body as the energy dispersed. Holding his hand out, Skeith unleashed four rapid-fire blasts into the slash mark at point-blank range. Cubia howled as it shot backwards, seeking to be several yards away from its enemy.

But Skeith would allow him no quarter, and slashed again, making an X mark on Cubia's white torso. Crying in agony, Cubia grabbed Skeith by his head, throwing him a distance away until Skeith righted himself in midair. In an instant, Skeith was upon Cubia again, carving another slash into its body.

Then, with another swing, Skeith had lopped off Cubia's right arm, followed shortly by its left. Helpless and unable to fight back, Cubia began to fall, incapable of maintaining its flight. Skeith took his opportunity, holding his arm toward his foe.

The swords appeared over his arm, clamping down on it to form a pronged variation of the bracelet that Naruto had come to know. The prongs all pointed forward, toward the enemy. Much like Cubia's had, a ball of energy shot forth, colliding with the enemy. Its target identified, streams of chakra leapt from the bracelet, spearing the remains of Cubia.

With a cry, Cubia disappeared and Ovan replaced him, floating in the air. He was smiling as he mouthed words of thanks to Naruto, then, in a flash of blue light, he exploded, sending a shockwave. Naruto, caught in the blast, was sent soaring through the sky, far away.

Kakashi, seeing this, yelled, "NARUTO!!"

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Uhh," Naruto rubbed his head as he stood, surrounded by darkness. "Where am I?"

"I don't know," a voice said, familiar to his ears. "Where do you think?"

Naruto looked up to see yet another being dedicated to being an inverted version of him. This version had hair that was black at the roots and white at the tips, and his clothes were the exact opposite colors of his. His eyes were red and his grin was vulpine.

"Who are you?" he asked the being.

"That's a good question," the being said, shrugging. "But I have a question for you. Who are you?"

"That's a ridiculous question!" Naruto shouted. "I'm! I'm…"

"You don't know?" the being asked. "Then what's your purpose?"

"I don't…" Naruto muttered sadly. "I don't know…What is my purpose?"

"What about Hyuga Hinata?" the being asked. "Do you know who she is?"

"She is…" Naruto replied, his voice growing more firm. "She is…my most precious person. She is my soul mate. The other half of my soul. The reason I live on."

"Good," the being cooed. "So, do you know who you are?"

"I'm Namikaze Naruto," Naruto said firmly. "I'm the son of Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Yuki, and I am to be the Sixth Hokage!"

"What's your purpose?" he asked. "For what reason do you exist?"

"I exist to protect all that is precious to me," Naruto said. "My purpose is to prevent the tragedies that would otherwise befall the world."

"Then…" the being began, walking past Naruto, "you don't have any need for me anymore, right?"

"Hold on," Naruto said, halting the being, "I made a silent promise to myself the very first time I time traveled that I would see this through until the end. That means that you're coming along for the ride…Skeith."

"Heh," Skeith chuckled. "So, you figured it out, huh?"

Skeith chuckled again, "I guess I have to hand it to you. You have more integrity than I thought."

There was a bright flash and Naruto had to close his eyes to keep from going blind. When he opened them again, a small boy with short, azure blue hair wearing white was standing in front of him, surrounded by a background of tall trees.

The boy waved, "Hello, Naruto!"

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, for what seemed like the sixtieth time that day.

"I'm an Avatar," the boy said, giggling as Naruto tensed. "Of sorts anyway. I'm the Avatar of this forest, and I've been around for several hundred years. I've seen the rise of Shinobi, and the fall of the first Uchiha. I guess you could say I'm the smartest being you'll ever meet."

"That didn't exactly answer my question," Naruto smirked.

"Call me Keyaki," the boy said.

"Alright, Keyaki," Naruto said, "what happened?"

"Oh, that," Keyaki said lightly. "Well, your mind was in disarray from that blast. Had it not been for my tinkering around you mind, you would have awoken with amnesia, and likely never gone home. You would have never completed your destiny."

"Wait, tinkering with my mind?" Naruto asked suspiciously. "What did you do?"

"Simple, silly," Keyaki said, still grinning. "After that concussion blast, the seal that kept your original personality at bay was weaker, so I introduced that personality to your current one. As long as you could discover what you would be leaving behind by accepting your amnesia, you would be fine, and your old personality would mix with the new."

"But that was Skeith," Naruto protested, staring at Keyaki with confusion. "How could that have been my old personality?"

"Skeith," Keyaki explained, "has been a part of you since your birth, despite whatever claims Kyuubi has made about making him. It's understandable that Kyubi would tell you Skeith was his creation, because he wanted to be remembered. Thus he took credit for it, to ensure that his existence would remain in at least one sense.

"Anyway, Skeith learned from you as you grew, and he adopted your happy-go-lucky personality for his own. When you sealed him away, you sealed away your old self and became more cynical and cruel. Do you feel…lighter now than you did earlier?"

"Yes, actually," Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "But why did I have to seal him away in the first place? Why did he go berserk?"

"That's a good question," Keyaki told him. "And the answer is that Skeith tried to usurp control from the Kyubi, so that you would draw on his power more often. Unfortunately, his methods would have killed you."

"So does that mean that I'll draw on Skeith's power now, instead of Kyubi's?"

"No," Keyaki said. "All it means is that you are now whole again and that Skeith's power is more easily accessible than before. You won't have to draw on the demon's chakra to summon him. You will only need your own. Anymore questions?"

"Just one, actually," Naruto said. "How did you do all of this?"

Keyaki leaned back on his haunches, still grinning, "You humans have your own method of communication: talking. We, the trees of this forest, don't have vocal cords, so we can't talk. Instead, we use a form of telepathy to communicate with each other. As we grew older, so did we become wiser. Our telepathy evolved to the point that we could communicate with other sentient beings, besides ourselves. Namely, humans."

Keyaki did Kakashi's eye-smile trick, "It's this that allowed me to talk with you here, and to help you become who you need to be. It is even how you are seeing me. I'm sending this image, the image of a young boy with blue hair, directly to your brain, so you perceive that I am sitting in front of you. If I so chose, I could exist in a solidified, human body, but I don't have any motivation for doing so."

Keyaki looked up at the sky, "You better get going. I'm sure your team has already made it back to Snow Country's village. And your Hinata-chan is undoubtedly waiting for you to come home, Namikaze Naruto."

With one last smile, Keyaki vanished from before Naruto's eyes.

Grinning, Naruto stood up from where he'd been sitting, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. Careful not to damage any of the plant life around him, Naruto leapt into the trees and towards his friends.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Cheers rose in volume as the crowd danced in the streets, celebrating their recent victory over Dotou. Around the Village Square, posters of Team Seven and Yukie hung, some in street vendor's shops and some on poles, waving like flags. Amongst the civilians, not one face was bereft of a smile.

Children ran around, throwing paper shuriken as they fought a mock battle against one another. Some wore white costumes with thin vertical stripes down the shirt, others wore the high blue collar of the Uchiha, pale shorts on their legs. Some even wore a headband tied around their skull, part of it tilted to conceal their left eye.

Men drank of their beloved Sake, pouring it over each other's heads jokingly, or singing slurred words in their drunken stupor. Wives tugged at their husbands' ears, pulling them away from the intoxicating beverage, a vein visible on their foreheads.

Only four people were not taking part in the festivities, and to them, they had every right not to. Team Seven was bereft of one of its members, its _strongest_ member, both in heart and in power. For Yukie, she had lost the person who had inspired her to make a difference; the one who had made everything possible.

Yukie looked somberly at the horizon, a sad smile on her face, "Do you think Naruto is alright?"

"I don't know," Kakashi admitted, shrugging somberly. "I can't honestly say whether or not we'll ever see him again. A fall from that height…it's unlikely."

Sakura and Yukie looked as if they'd been told that their dog had died. Sasuke merely looked to the side, the only hint of sadness being the slight frown on his face. Kakashi shrugged, "But Naruto is known for doing the unpredictable. When you factor that in…well, I suppose we just have to wait an see."

"He's of the Uchiha clan," Sasuke said calmly, though Kakashi suspected he was trying to reassure himself. "He's got the strongest blood possible in his veins. There's no way he's going to die so easily."

"Yeah!" Sakura said, brightening. "He's Naruto! There's no way he'd go out like that!"

"He's Konoha's Shinigami," Kakashi chimed in, smiling beneath his mask, "he's an A-rank ninja that even Orochimaru is wary of. He won't get killed so quickly and easily."

"He's a hero," Yukie smiled. "He's _my_ hero, and by his hand was this country saved. If there's anyone who could survive that fall, it's him."

"Wow," everyone looked back to the roof of the closest building, upon which Naruto was crouched, a vulpine grin on his face, "I didn't know everyone thought so highly of me!"

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted, smiling gleefully.

"Naruto!" Kakashi said loudly, his eye wide with surprise.

"Naruto," Sasuke whispered, eyes wide.

"Naruto," Yukie smiled.

His grin widening, Naruto threw them a mock salute, saying, "That's me!"

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Next time…

"_Whew! That was close. That mission might just have been my last."— Naruto_

"_I'm ready, Naruto-kun. Together, we'll rescue Sasuke from the darkness." — Hinata_

"_You don't get it, do you, Kimimaro? Kabuto could have healed your Tuberculosis if he had really tried. The only reason he didn't is because Orochimaru only has eyes for the Uchiha."— Naruto_

"_**My, my. This one would be quite the useful warrior. He would be a powerful ally." **__— Kyubi_

"_Are you sure that was wise, Hokage-sama? Sending three Chûnin and a bunch of Genin to retrieve Sasuke?" — Kakashi_

"_Do you see now, Sasuke? This image I showed you…it's what would happen if you joined Orochimaru." — Naruto_

"_Hello again, Naruto-kun! Are you surprised to see me?" — Unknown_

"_So…this will help me control the Curse Mark? Good…" — Sasuke_

"_You're coming back to Konoha with me, Sasuke. Even if I have to drag you back there with my bare hands, you're coming back to Konoha!" — Naruto_

"_Welcome…Naruto-kun. Such weak anger, though…you're such a weak insect, that I can't kill you." — Ovan_

"_If you have anything to say, Ovan…I'll ask your heart directly!" — Naruto_

"_It was too soon. First, the others must awaken. Naruto-kun, when we meet again…it will truly be the end of our struggle." — Ovan_

"_Grr! Damn that brat! What can I do to defeat such a monstrous ninja? Tayuya! Jirobo! Sakon! Kidomaru! Go get my next vessel…Uchiha Sasuke." — Orochimaru_

_The day has finally come. Sasuke has run to Orochimaru, desperately seeking a way to control his curse. Naruto, Hinata, Neji, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and Akamaru all head out to bring him back home. Later, Lee follows in an effort to feel useful again and help his precious comrades. Unfortunately, Kimimaro has similar ideas, and follows the Sound Four in order to retrieve Orochimaru's new vessel._

_But Naruto has an idea. Kimimaro is under the impression that Orochimaru cares for him as more than a petty pawn. Given that fact, Naruto will try to recruit Kimimaro by doing something that Kabuto had been unwilling to do: tell him the truth and cure his disease. With Hinata's help, Naruto will rid the last Kaguya of his fatal Tuberculosis._

_Next time, "Tsukuyomi: The Truth Revealed." _

** — o.0.O.O.0.o —   
A/N Can you say "Thank you"? Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce the extended version of Chapter Ten. Next up is the last chapter of this Volume! Can anyone guess the "Unknown" that will pop up?**

**This is how I'm going to work from now on. Once I finish the ASCTS trilogy, I'll work on One Winged Angel till it's done. Then, once I complete OWA, I'll work on Azure Moon.**

**I know I won't ever get around to Order of the Phoenix: Reconvened, so who wants to write it for me?**

**Sorry this took so long to get out. I just didn't have much inspiration. I'd start it, then my inspiration would run dry a few minutes later. **

**Music that I listened to during the fight scenes: "Everything in These Hands" by Chikayo Fukuda (Dot Hack//GU fans would know it as the theme for the fight between Azure Kite and Haseo at the beginning of Volume 1)**

**Ending Theme for Volume 1: Rebirth: "Suteki da ne" by Rikki (as chosen by the fans)  
Ending Theme for Volume 2: Reminisce: "Gentle Hands" by Tomoyo Mitani  
Opening Theme for Volume 3: Redemption: "the World" by Nightmare  
Ending Theme for Volume 3: Redemption: "Yasashiku kimi wa hohoende ita/You Smiled Gently" by Tomoyo Mitani**

**If you're a little disappointed that you didn't get to vote on the Themes for Vol. 2 and Vol. 3, sorry, but…eh. I just wanted to use those particular themes.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, (Dot) Hack, or Bleach**

**Bankai (It is the accepted norm that Bankai increases a Shinigami's power by 10 fold):**_ Tensa Zangetsu (Heavenly Chains Cutting the Moon): See Chapter Five Author's Notes.  
Shinkû Shinkirô Zangetsu (Empty Mirage Cutting the Moon): See Chapter Five Author's Notes  
Mugen Enbukyoku Sakuhime (Endless Waltz of the Flower Princess): See Chapter Eight Author's Notes.  
Hyôteiken Benihime (Frozen Imperial Sword of the Crimson Princess): See Chapter Eight Author's Notes._

_**This guy…he killed Shino…It's not over YET!**_

**James Daniel Godric Fawkes**

_James Daniel Godric Fawkes_**(Signature best viewed in **_**Wendy Medium**_** font style)**


	11. Tsukuyomi: The Truth Revealed

_Haritsumeta sora wa shinjitsu tarazu  
chikazuku koto o kobande iru  
afureru namida shizuku to nari kobore  
kokoro ga itaku te dou shiyou mo nai_

_Kanashimi no hate ikitsuku saki wa  
"Shinjitsu to Itsuwari"_

_Koko ni nemuru shinjitsu no yukue  
konna ni mo soba ni iru no ni  
tooku hikaru hoshi no subete o  
terashite iru no ni_

_Itetsuita sora wa toki ni wa kagami de  
Kokoro no itami utsushite someru_

_Kizutsuketa hane wa osore o shirazu  
Yasumu goto sae dekinai mama ni_

_Shinjitsu motome doko made mo tooku e  
kaze ni sakarai haruka kanata e_

_Tsukami sokoneta yume monogatari  
genjitsu to maboroshi_

_Shizuka sugite kiete shimai sou  
konna ni mo sakendeiru no ni  
kizamu toki wa kono koe sae mo  
keshite shimau no ne_

_Karamiau kusari no you ni  
kanashimi to kurayami wa  
omotakute tokihanasu koto wa yurusanai_

_Koko ni nemuru shinjitsu no yukue  
konna ni mo soba ni iru no ni  
tooku hikaru hoshi no subete o  
terashite iru no ni_

_Shizuka sugite kiete shimai sou  
konna ni mo sakendeiru no ni  
kizamu toki wa kono koe sae mo  
keshite shimau no ne_

_**Shinjitsu no Yukue, **__by __**Tomoyo Mitani**_

"It was…too soon," Ovan lamented, leaning against the translucent crystal that preserved his sister's body. He sighed, his head landing with a thud against the crystal. He grunted as the fingers of his left hand twitched, grimacing as a spike of pain lanced through that arm.

He sighed again, much deeper than before, "I was a fool…I was too impatient. I was so eager to end my pain that I didn't realize the components missing from my plans. It was not yet time for our battle, Naruto-kun, because not all of your brethren have awakened."

He sighed, watching, in morbid fascination, as tissue rapidly grew from nowhere in order to replace the leg he had lost. A result of his battle, his leg had been destroyed, torn apart molecule by molecule, ripped from his body like a splinter. Now, he could only sit and watch as Cubia grew the missing limb back into place.

"I can sense them," he said, talking to no one person in particular. "Tarvos, Skeith, Magus, Innis, Corbenik…they have all awakened and come into their true power. Only Macha, Gorre, and Fidchell remain dormant."

He hissed painfully as skin stretched over the previously bare muscle, "Only those three lay asleep, slumbering in their vessels. Then, Naruto-kun, our true battle will begin. When they awaken, you and I shall end this timeless war."

He looked back over his shoulder, at the girl frozen in crystal, "I'm sorry, Aina. I broke my promise. It'll take a little bit longer for me to reach you."

Ovan winced, gritting his teeth. Cubia was howling at him, angry that he had been defeated so easily, despite his superior age. The Hidden One growled out threats to Ovan's body and mind, determined to force him to complete the task of the Anti-Existence. Ovan ignored its calls, knowing that it could not do any of what it promised.

He did, however, know just how capable it was of taking over his mind. He knew that he could not allow the beast to have control again, not after what it had done when it first awoke within him several years before. To allow Cubia control was to allow the destruction of the human race.

Ovan knew full well just how devastating Cubia's strength was, his little sister having been its only victim. It stood out vividly in his memory, as he could not forget just what had happened. It was so vivid, that it felt as if it had happened just yesterday.

He had been sitting down, reading to Aina by her bedside just before she was to go to sleep. She'd looked up at him with those shining amethyst eyes, love and joy sparkling in their depths. He could clearly remember the smile that stretched across his face, a small chuckle leaving his mouth as she begged him to continue reading.

He could also remember the book he had been reading her, the "Epitaph of Twilight", a book far beyond her ten-year-old level of comprehension. But she'd listened with rapt attention, memorizing each word that left his mouth as he read to her. He could even remember those words, their letters burned into his memory.

"_Yet to return, the shadowed one, who quests for the Twilight Dragon,"_ he'd read, his voice soft as the words rolled over his tongue. _"Rumbles the dark hearth. And Helba, Queen of the Dark, has finally raised her army. Apeiron, King of Light, beckons. At the base of the rainbow do they meet. Against the abominable wave, together they fight."_

She'd looked up at him with amazement in her gaze, hanging on to every syllable, as if he'd been preaching the word of God. He remembered the smile that had lit up his face as she eagerly begged him to continue, drinking in each line as if it were water.

"_Alba's lake boils,"_ he'd went on, watching her excitement out of the corner of his eyes, _"Light's great tree doth fall. Power, now all to droplets, turned in the temple of Arche Koeln. Returns to nothing, this world of shadowless ones. Never to return, the shadowed one who quests for the Twilight Dragon."_

That's when he'd felt it, the festering rage that bubbled up in his mind, clawing at his skull like a beast ready to feed on his brain. There was a scream, and he'd been unsure whether it was his own, or simply the howls of Cubia's rage as the beast hijacked his body, pushing him out of the way effortlessly.

He had heard Aina, crying, asking him what was wrong as the book fell to the floor and closed shut with a loud thud. She'd sat next to him, holding his shoulders as he keeled over and grabbed his burning head, trying desperately to fight the creature invading his mind. Tears had streaked down her face, hitting the ground silently.

He remembered his feelings of helplessness as he tried to combat the evil demon eager to possess him, the creature worming its way into his consciousness. His head had felt as if it were being split in two, a vicious ache threatening to drive him insane with the pain. His body fell soon after, burning agony in his limbs as his control was usurped.

Then, it had all stopped. His arms and legs moved of their own accord, standing up without Ovan's prompting. Cubia in control, he turned towards the sobbing form of his little sister, whose face lit up in happiness as he appeared to be unharmed. He'd had a feeling of foreboding at that moment, somehow knowing what was to occur next.

He'd felt a wicked smirk come over his lips as his right arm snaked out, grasping Aina by the throat and covered with violent purple energy. She'd reached up, fear in her eyes as she tried to pry his fingers from her frail neck.

"_Big brother," _she'd pleaded. _"Please, big brother, stop! You're hurting me!"_

The smirk had stretched, and he had felt sick to his stomach as Cubia spoke using his mouth, _"Big brother isn't here right now, little girl."_

Her face had paled as the poisonous energy seeped into her skin, slowly killing her without leaving any marks. She'd looked at him, pain in her gaze as her mouth opened wide, an agonized scream passing over her lips.

"_Aina!" _he'd tried calling out, but no words reached her ears as Cubia slowly tightened his grasp around her slender neck, driving all the air from her lungs. _"No, Aina!"_

He'd heard a cruel laugh, and soon after realized that Cubia was laughing at him, mocking his pain and anguish as the life steadily bled from Aina's face. Her bright eyes became dull and glassy, reflecting Ovan's face back at him. With a final, soft sigh, her hands had fallen, her body becoming limp.

"No!" Ovan cried. "Aina!"

He blinked, then realized that he had fallen asleep, dreaming of the event that had taken his sister's life. He sighed, looking down to see a new leg had replaced the one he'd lost in his battle with Naruto. Pink flesh once more filled his the right side of his pants, the muscles taut and cramped.

He sighed again. As soon as he'd regained control of his body, he had sat Aina down in her favorite rocking chair and encased both her corpse and the chair in crystal, preserving them for all of time. After that, he'd made his pocket dimension, deciding to spend as much time as he could with his little sister.

"Soon," Ovan whispered. "Soon, all eight will have awakened, and Skeith's true power will finally be unlocked. Then, I shall join Aina."

It was unfortunate, but he could not be laid to rest beside his little sister. In order to kill Cubia, Ovan's body had to be completely destroyed, down to the last molecule. That would leave behind no corpse, thus, he would be unable to rest eternally by his sister. Only in the afterlife could he truly be with her.

A sudden prickling on the edge of his senses alerted him to a trio of unexpected guests.

"So," Ovan drawled, turning his gaze around, "you're here. The Pursuers…"

Three ghastly figures stared at him, none of them making to answer his statement. The one in the middle, wearing vibrant red-orange clothing and a large, floppy hat, tilted his head back, lips parted slightly. Two opposing rows of jagged, carnivorous teeth shown, their white surfaces glinting ominously.

"As things are right now," Ovan stood, slowly unwrapping the bandages on his left arm, "you'll only get in the way of my plan."

The bandages fell to the ground with a soft thump.

**A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce  
By: **James D. Fawkes

**Chapter Eleven: Tsukuyomi: The Truth Revealed  
— o.0.O.O.0.o — **

Sasuke winced, closing his eyes and biting his lip as the Curse Mark burned again, searing the skin of his neck. His fist clenched as he fought back a scream, jabbing his fingers into a pressure point on his shoulder. Instantly, the pain relaxed, and so did he. He let out a sigh, leaning his head against the trunk of the tree he was sitting in.

Not two seconds later, he tensed, grabbing his sheathed sword from its resting-place. As he stood, he yanked his weapon loose and swung upwards in one fluid motion. The wires that had been about to tie him to his tree were cut and fell, useless.

"Well, well," a liquid voice cooed, "it seems he _does_ have a spark in him, after all."

"You're right, Sakon," another, cockier voice crowed. "And it seems his sword has some use, too. I thought it was just an overgrown toothpick."

Sasuke's eyes flashed, crimson bleeding into, and consuming, their natural shade of charcoal, "Sakuhime does not take lightly to insults cast upon her…and neither do I."

With three puffs of smoke, three beasts, demons it seemed, appeared around him and flute music sounded in his ears. He scowled as the beasts charged at him in tune to the music, dodging their attacks with ease. One of the creatures, this one carrying a club, left himself open. Sasuke took advantage of that and, with a chakra laden kick, dispersed the bizarre summon.

Flipping backwards, Sasuke moved out of the way of one of the other monster's attack, holding his sword in front of him. In a monotone, he commanded, "Chire, Sakuhime."

The blade of his weapon burst into hundreds of pieces, spearing through the beast in front of him. With a puff of smoke, the second monster was dispelled, leaving the last one. The flute music seemed to pick up pace and become more frantic, the monster following its sound.

Sasuke flashed through three one-handed seals, ducking under the last beast's attack. His sword crackling with lightning chakra, he stabbed the demon in the stomach, twisting his blade with a sickening squelch. His red eyes gleamed.

"Cast in the name of God," he said, having heard the quote from an anime he had once watched. Tenchū, this skill was called. He'd seen Naruto practicing it. "Ye Guilty."

In an explosion of blood and gore, the pent up electrical energy burst outwards, dispelling the final summoned creature by default. His gaze impassive, Sasuke turned to look at the four ninja who had been watching his little bout, smirks on their faces. He mustered his strongest glare, "Who are you?"

"Who are we?" the gray-haired one repeated, his lips an unnatural green. "We are Sakon, Jirobo, Tayuya, and Kidomaru. We are called the Otogakure no Shinobi Yonin Shu, the Four Ninja of Sound. I am Sakon of the West Gate."

"Jirobo of the South Gate," the heavyset one said, arms folded over his chest.

"Kidomaru of the East Gate," the six-armed one crowed, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Tayuya of the North Gate," the redheaded girl said stoically.

Eyes narrowed, Sasuke sized up his opposition, from the gray-haired Sakon to the sparse orange hair of Jirobo. Despite their age, they would be quite a challenge for any ordinary Shinobi. He resisted the urge to smirk. He was no ordinary Shinobi.

In an instant, they were upon each other, Sasuke ducking under Sakon's jump kick. Grabbing the other ninja's leg, he tossed him into the oncoming Kidomaru, watching as they tumbled on the thick tree branch that was their battleground. Hopping over Tayuya, he did a midair summersault, using his momentum to land a vicious kick to the back of her head. She crashed into the tree trunk with a dull thud.

Jirobo advanced on him, fist cocked back threateningly. With a meaty slap, Sasuke caught the larger boy's fist effortlessly, eyes scanning his enemy's body for the correct spot. Chakra gathered in his hand, and he thrust his fingers into Jirobo's stomach. To his satisfaction, Jirobo's eyes went wide as the flow of chakra to his liver and kidneys was cut off.

Letting go, Jirobo's arm fell, a look of shock plastered to his face. Lifting his foot, Sasuke sent a bone-crushing kick into the boy's torso. He flew through the air, colliding soundly with a building not too far away.

"If this is the best that the Sound Four have to offer," Sasuke mocked, face serious, "then I think Orochimaru _really_ needs to find better help. You guys…are pathetic."

Before Sasuke's eyes, the four shinobi stood back up, unscathed, as if he had never hit them. Each of them had a smirk on his or her face, as though they had been 'testing the waters' and found them satisfying. Jirobo wiped a small trail of blood from his chin, the only evidence that Sasuke had hit his original mark.

And, Sasuke noticed, each of them had some form of black markings stretched across their skin, each design different from the last. His eyes narrowed, his hand drifting back towards the hilt of his sword. He let his eyes close, his tone pensive, "I see."

He unsheathed Sakuhime, holding her parallel to his body, tip pointing down. As they stood in front of him, he let Sakuhime drop and sink into the wood, eyes snapping open, "If you're going that far…Bankai."

Two endless rows of swords rose up behind Sasuke, before shattering into thousands of tiny blossoms. As the petals swirled, Sasuke held his hand out, an imperial-looking white sword forming in his palm.

Sakon rushed forward, lashing out with a punch. A mass of petals swarmed up in front of Sasuke, blocking the attack easily. As Sakon retreated, hand covered in scratches that quickly healed, the mass dissolved, revealing a Sasuke that hadn't so much as twitched. With a soft swish, he disappeared.

An instant later, he reappeared behind Sakon, sword held loosely. He turned impassive eyes on Sakon, a distasteful frown on his lips, "You're far too slow."

Sakon fell to his knees, coughing up mouthfuls of blood. Three stab wounds, all of which had both exit and entry points, bled on his chest. One was through his right lung, one had skewered his liver, and one had nearly cut his left kidney in half. Even as the curse seal began to heal them, Sakon tried desperately to stem the flow of his life essence.

The other three attacked him en masse, Kidomaru in the lead. Even with six arms, however, he was no match for Sasuke's raw speed. He fell backwards, a diagonal slash traveling from his left hip to his right shoulder. Tayuya fell second, a bruise already purpling on her left cheek. Jirobo, too, was easily dispatched, decorated by a horizontal slice that was just _barely_ shallow enough to miss disemboweling him.

Sasuke gazed at them dispassionately, disgusted with himself for even allowing the smallest part of his mind to contemplate joining the Snake Sennin. If this was the power Orochimaru had to offer, then he would rather not take the man's offer. After all, if you wanted to know about a man, investigate his inferiors, not his equals.

Sakon stood first, skin turning red as a horn grew from his forehead. Sasuke's eyes widened as the other three stood as well, undergoing similar mutations. Before he could move to counterattack, he found himself flat on his back, looking up into Sakon's menacing eyes. Rolling out of the way, Sasuke watched as the tree branch caved inward from the force of Kidomaru's vicious punch.

Scowling, Sasuke kneeled, glaring at his opponents. Biting his lip, he resolved to use his new, untested Bankai ability. The sword in his hand dissipated as the blackness of the night seemed to engulf his surroundings, the various petals swirling, "This is the true form of Sakuhime, when she has abandoned all defense and dedicated herself only…to killing the enemy."

A large column of glowing pink swords had formed, surrounding Sasuke and the Sound Four in a sort of cage. The other four ninja looked surprised. Sasuke smirked, "Don't be afraid. This funeral procession of a thousand blades won't attack all at once. This form is shown…" a sword flew into his outstretched palm, "only to those I have sworn to kill with my own hands."

In an instant, he disappeared again, Tayuya just barely dodging out of the way of his attack. She escaped with a shallow cut along her right arm, a furious grimace on her face. Jirobo was his next target, and wound up with a sword stabbed through his right thigh. With a flicker of speed, Sasuke stood in front of Tayuya, another sword flying to his hand. He stabbed it through her left foot and into the tree branch. She cried out.

Backed up against the nearly invisible tree trunk, Sakon soon found himself pinned to it by a sword skewed right through his stomach. He screamed as he pulled on it, trying to pull it from his body. He had no success, his hands bleeding profusely from his vain attempts.

His comrades defeated and their fates seeming grim, Kidomaru backed away as Sasuke advanced towards him, sword in hand. He raised it up, above his head, poised to strike a fatal blow, "Omae wo…"

Sasuke's eyes suddenly went wide and he dropped his weapon, clutching at the junction where his neck met his left shoulder. The swords, both the cage and the ones impaling the other three Sound ninja, dissolved into nothing, leaving the original sheathed at Sasuke's side. Kidomaru grinned.

He walked up to the kneeling Sasuke, his curse mark fading as his comrades tried to overcome their injuries, a triumphant smirk on his lips. Sasuke glared up at him, black, flame-like marks advancing and retreating over his skin. Kidomaru's smirk only grew, "You can't control it, can you?"

Sasuke grunted in pain, his glare intensifying. Kidomaru just scoffed, "If you want to learn to control that Curse Mark…come with us."

Picking themselves up, the Sound Four left Sasuke to contemplate his options.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto sat on the roof of his father's home, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. A thin layer of blue chakra swirled around his form, flowing clockwise around his body. A look of concentration was on his face, his lips drawn tight. He was meditating.

Unbeknownst to Naruto, however, a figure was watching him, gauging whether or not to approach the young blond. This figure's eyes were set on his target, no hostile intent present within their gaze. Indeed, this figure's eyes held nothing at all, no indication of whether his visit was hostile or peaceful.

A tight frown, the only show of the figure's emotions, stretched across his lips, gleaming eyes narrowed in thought. A gust of wind blew his long bangs into his eyes, an irritated huff leaving his lips as he brushed them away. His concentration snapped back onto the blond boy, his eyes revealing the density of the chakra surrounding him.

He was no fool. He knew that Orochimaru deliberately mislabeled Naruto's rank in an effort to pile more foes against the boy. It had been Orochimaru's hope that more Jounin would race to attack Naruto if his bounty had been high but his rank had only been A. Unfortunately for Orochimaru, his plans hadn't panned out the way he had hoped.

The figure narrowed his eyes, trying to gleam an inkling of the thoughts in Naruto's mind, trying to determine the content of Naruto's thoughts. He was an expert at gathering information. He had to be, or else his position as a spy would have been compromised long ago and his usefulness would have evaporated. His skills with Genjutsu and stealth helped, of course, but even those could only take him so far.

Without Kyôka Suigetsu, his trusty partner, he would truly have blown his cover years ago. If his leader knew that he was feeding information to Konoha, then he would have lost his life faster than he could say 'Pocky'. As that thought crossed his mind, the figure reached into his kunai pouch and pulled out a box of his favorite treat, munching on a stick of strawberry flavored Pocky.

"_I don't care how unhealthy it is,"_ the figure thought stubbornly, _"I'll eat Pocky until the end of time!"_

"You can come out now," Naruto's voice called. The figure froze, eyes wide, his teeth poised to bite into stick number four of his favorite candy. Naruto turned his head, looking right at the figure and locking gazes.

Shifting nervously, the figure put his candy away, standing up from his crouched position. Reapplying his poker face, he leapt from his hiding spot, landing on the roof a couple meters away from his target. He shifted uncomfortably, unbuttoning a portion of his jacket and resting his arm as if in a sling. He vaguely reminded himself of a character called Auron from a famous video game.

Naruto looked back at him, Sharingan eyes swirling cautiously. The figure knew that the boy had right to be worried. After all, it's not everyday that an S-ranked criminal stalked you, was it? He almost chuckled at the irony. For Naruto, yes, it was everyday that an S-ranked criminal stalked him.

"Why are you here, Itachi?" Naruto asked, his expression guarded. "I know the truth about you, so why are you here?"

"The truth, Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked neutrally, curious about what this 'truth' was.

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "You killed your entire clan that night nearly five years ago, telling Sasuke that you did it to measure the height of your capacity. You told him to hate you with all his heart, and to hate you until he could end your life. That was just a ruse."

"Was it, Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked. He was curious. Did Naruto really know…? "If that was just a ruse, what was my true reason?"

"You wanted him to kill you," Naruto stated simply. "You knew Orochimaru was after the Sharingan, so you did what you could to ensure he couldn't get it. You killed your entire clan. It was added motivation that most of them were obsessed with gaining power, to the point that it corrupted them. That didn't make your actions right, but it helped with your justification."

Naruto sighed, "But something went wrong with your plan. You managed to kill your entire clan, including your mother and father…but you couldn't bring yourself to kill your little brother. So you decided that your brother would wreak vengeance upon you, and cleanse you of your sin."

"Very astute, Naruto-kun," Itachi praised. The only thing that had been left out was Shisui's death. "But how did you come to this conclusion?"

"Simple," Naruto closed his eyes, "I've killed you before…" he opened them, the three tomoes swirling and blurring into a single shape, "and you smiled…"

Before he could counteract the Mangekyou spinning in Naruto's eyes, he found himself trapped within an inverted world, one that he was used to summoning and using. Instead, he was on the receiving end, helpless as a scene unfolded before his eyes.

He could see himself, twenty-one years old instead of seventeen, still wearing the robe of the Akatsuki. Blood trickled down his chin, his Sharingan swirling in his eyes as he panted for breath. An older Naruto, barely seventeen himself, stood opposite him, sword drawn and perfectly calm. A Hyuga girl stood at the blonde's side, her sword covered in the blood of Hoshigaki Kisame.

Despite the obvious hopelessness of his predicament, the older Itachi smiled, and whispered, _"So…justice has finally come for me…"_

In a flash, the older Naruto and Itachi launched towards at each other, one with a kunai, the other with his sword. There was a glint of steel and the kunai went flying, a sick squelch rending the air. Blood fell to the ground, the older Itachi impaled upon seventeen year old Naruto's sword.

As Itachi fell from the blade and to the earth, a smile upon his lips, his last words echoed over the battlefield, _"And now…at the end…I am cleansed of my sin…"_

The real Itachi gasped as the world of Tsukuyomi vanished and he was in the real world again, stunned as Naruto rubbed his strained eyes. His Sharingan had never activated, leaving his eyes their original coal black. His mouth was open slightly in surprise, eyes wide.

"That was…" he whispered, unable to form words. He calmed himself, letting out a sigh, "I see. So, you have lived this life before. I am suitably impressed, Naruto-kun. Nevertheless, your secret is safe with me. However, I still wish to know why you would trust me with such information."

Naruto smirked, his eyes blue once again, "Because, Itachi-senpai, you are Jiraiya's informant within Akatsuki. You are the spy that has allowed us to prepare for Nagato and his world domination schemes. Despite your status as the Uchiha killer, you're still loyal to Konoha. As for how I know that…you'd be amazed what Jiraiya says when he's drunk."

Itachi blinked, then laughed at the idea of how easily one of the Legendary Three had been tricked out of his own vital information. The image of a drunk Jiraiya, giggling as he told Naruto his master plan, didn't help to quell his amusement.

"So, Itachi-senpai," Naruto began as the older ninja began to calm, "why have you come here?"

In an instant, Itachi was serious again, focused on the boy in front of him, "Nagato-san is wary, Naruto-kun, of your new place in the bingo books. He has seen behind Orochimaru's ruse. He knows you're actually an S-ranked ninja."

"Of course," Naruto said. "I expected no less. All that means is that I must be prepared for the entire might of the Akatsuki. Can I count on you if he so decides to unleash the whole organization?"

Itachi closed his eyes, smiling, "Of course…Hokage-sama."

As Naruto's face grew serious, Itachi snapped to attention, saluting the blond. His lips drawn tight, Naruto said, "Dismissed!"

Nodding, Itachi turned to leave. After all, the illusion Kyôka Suigetsu could cast was quite powerful and convincing, but he needn't test the limits of just how convincing.

"Oh, and Itachi-senpai," Itachi turned, grabbing the object thrown at him. A brand new Konoha hitai-ate gleamed in the sunlight, the metal band tied with black cloth. Naruto smirked at him, "Welcome back to Konoha."

"_You're right, Naruto-kun," _Itachi thought as he vanished silently. _"My original purpose behind the massacre was to keep the Sharingan from Orochimaru…but…when I killed them…I killed them because I hated them."_

Itachi closed his eyes, suppressing a sigh, _"Am I truly so trustworthy, Naruto-kun, if I hated my family enough to kill them? Mother…she was the only one I regret killing. Auntie, Uncle, Shisui…I felt nothing but satisfaction when they fell to my sword. I even _enjoyed_ killing Father. Is one so despicable as I truly worthy of your trust?"_

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

She couldn't explain it. She couldn't explain why she was up at the darkest hours of the night, so close to morning that the moon seemed indecisive about its place in the sky. She couldn't explain what had drawn her out of the warm comfort of her soft bed with its delicate feather pillow. She couldn't explain it.

A feeling. That's the only way to describe what she was experiencing. It was a feeling. No, 'a feeling' was too neutral. She had… a sense of foreboding. She didn't know how she sensed, or even why she was sensing it. She didn't know what that feeling was trying to tell her. All she knew was that feeling and where it was dragging her.

The Uchiha compound. She couldn't explain what her feeling had to do with that large, forbidding sector of Konoha, so long since abandoned that only Sasuke lived there now. She couldn't explain what that feeling had to do with an area that was considered one of the safest and most secure in the entire village.

Perhaps it would be more precise to say that she didn't want to face the inevitable truth about what she was feeling. She knew what the feeling was, and she knew what it meant for the feeling to be connected to the Uchiha compound. She simply didn't want to believe that she could be right.

There was something wrong. That's what her feeling told her. There was something wrong, and it involved Sasuke. Initially, her mind had come up with several gruesome images of Sasuke murdered in his sleep by Orochimaru, but she'd quickly dispelled them. The feeling…something was wrong with Sasuke, but he wasn't in direct danger.

So what was wrong?

She snapped out of her worry as a funny prickling nagged at the edge of her senses. Looking up, she could see a solitary figure walking towards her, a bag of some sort slung over his or her shoulder. In the dark, she couldn't quite make out his appearance, but the feeling returned full force, and she instantly knew.

As Sasuke moved closer, the feeling was more than just an instinct. It became cemented into a fact by the full bag of clothes and other necessities that was slung over his right shoulder. She didn't need to be an ANBU to know exactly what was happening, and it tore her right down the middle.

"Sasuke-kun," she cried out quietly. She nearly recoiled when he looked up at her, his black eyes dead and listless, where there had once been warmth and ambition.

"Sakura," he said, his voice toneless and cold. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I…" she hesitated to respond. "I…had a feeling…that something was wrong…"

"A feeling?" Sasuke asked calmly.

"Y-yeah," Sakura said, trying to calm herself. "I had…a feeling that…something was wrong with you, Sasuke-kun…I couldn't explain it, just that…there was something wrong…"

Sasuke started walking again, "There's nothing wrong."

Tears sprang to her eyes, her mind reliving their adventure into the forest, searching for the Honeysuckle plant. Did that mean nothing to him, now? Was she so far removed from his memory that he would forget what that flower had symbolized for them? Did she truly mean so little to the Uchiha Avenger?

"Why?!" she cried. "Why won't you say anything to me, Sasuke-kun?"

He paused, "To give you false hope…that would be even more cruel than saying nothing. What I am about to do…there's no guarantee I'll come back the same as I was when I left."

"I know why you're leaving," she told him, looking down sorrowfully. "You're going to go to that Orochimaru guy, right? You're going to get him to help you control your Curse Mark."

He was silent for a moment, turning to look at her without a shred of surprise on his face, "Yes, I'm going to him so that I can learn to control my curse mark."

Finally, she crumbled, unable to maintain her composure around that stoic mask that covered his true face. She burst into tears, "Do I mean so little to you? What about our promise? I knew all along! I knew from the beginning what Honeysuckle symbolized! I love you, Sasuke-kun! Why can't you see that?!"

She collapsed, tears streaming down her cheeks, "I love you, Sasuke-kun. P-please don't go."

She felt a finger press against her lips, trying to quell her sobs. She looked up and Sasuke was kneeling in front of her, a gentle expression on his face. Gently, he lifted chin, kissing her softly. The action assaulted her senses, and she was suddenly overtaken by the thought of how soft his lips were.

She felt her head getting lighter as the kiss went on, and her eyes drooped shut as she lost consciousness, her breathing even as she slept. Picking her up, Sasuke set her on the bench nearby, laying one of the Honeysuckle flowers they had picked down next to her face.

With a rustle of cloth, Sasuke disappeared, leaving behind the embodiment of his promise. He would return, someday.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto had a bad feeling.

Not one of those ordinary bad feelings, like 'oh man, I'm gonna regret this'. It wasn't even that ominous nagging in the back of his head that he got when Sakura was about to hit him on the head with one of her monstrous punches. No, this feeling was much worse. It marked a thirteen out of ten on Naruto's 'Oh shit!' meter.

Something was horribly wrong, and he knew he probably could have done something to prevent it. He tried to think of what event was supposed to occur around this time, but drew a blank at every turn. He was missing something, and he wasn't entirely sure what it was, but he knew it was something _bad_.

What _was_ supposed to happen? He mentally made a checklist. He'd thwarted Orochimaru at the Chûnin Exams, brought back Tsunade, she'd sent Team Seven on the mission to Yuki no Kuni, and…

Naruto's eyes widened. And Sasuke was to flee the village, seeking Orochimaru for power and control of his Curse Mark. His heart skipped a beat. That's what his bad feeling was about? Sasuke was going to leave Konoha in search of the Snake Sennin. That was cause enough for such an ominous feeling.

Or, perhaps, Sasuke had already left Konoha. That would only make matters worse, as Naruto knew that Sasuke was unaware of his brother's truth. For Sasuke to gain enough power to kill his brother, then do so, would be a cause for concern. Itachi was instrumental in maintaining tabs on Akatsuki, and would undoubtedly be an asset in the final battle against Pein.

This was bad. Dread flooded Naruto's veins like alcohol, sending nervous adrenaline throughout his body. If Sasuke left for Orochimaru, there was no telling what would happen. With his injuries less severe than they originally had been, Orochimaru could afford to wait until Sasuke arrived before he did his body-transfer Jutsu.

A smaller, softer hand slipped over his palm, lacing its fingers with his own. Startled, Naruto looked over into Hinata's smiling face and found himself calming down. Feeling significantly better, he smiled back, then turned his face serious as he threw open the doors to Tsunade's office.

Tsunade looked at them as they walked in, her face pulled into a grim frown. Shikamaru looked over at them lazily, his eyes half-lidded.

"Naruto, Hinata," Tsunade acknowledged, nodding. "Do you know why I've called you?"

Naruto nodded, eyes sharp.

Tsunade's lips tightened, "Bring him back, Naruto. Take out Orochimaru's henchmen, if you can, but above all, bring him back."

"Hai," Naruto nodded. "Who can I expect on my team?"

"Him," Tsunade jerked her head at Shikamaru, "and Hinata. You leave in half an hour. You can also take with you any worthy Genin you find in that time span. I suggest that you find at least two or three."

Nodding, Naruto turned to leave, but was stopped by Tsunade, "Naruto, I know you want to do these things all by yourself, so that others don't get hurt. And you're one of the strongest ninja in this village, but you're still human. You can't accomplish everything on your own."

Naruto sighed, Hinata clenching his hand reassuringly, "I know."

As Naruto left, Hinata turned back to the elder woman, "I know you're concerned, Tsunade-sama, but so long as I draw breath, nothing shall happen to Naruto-kun."

Jogging until she caught up with Naruto, the door closed behind the pair with an ominous creak. Tsunade couldn't help but feel that it just may be the last time she saw the two of them. She smiled sadly. Was this what if felt like to be a mother?

"Shikamaru," she said quietly, "you know your mission. Get to it."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

The mission was going to be tough, that much was for sure. Sasuke had been gone since the night before, so the Sound Four had a large lead and head start. To catch up with them, only people with enough endurance could be taken on the retrieval team. In other words, only the best of the best.

Naruto looked at his team, mentally reaffirming his reasons for choosing them. He needed to be sure about his team if he was going to pull the mission through without casualties. To make it through without casualties, he needed his team to be the best of the best, those capable of fighting the Sound Four.

Kiba was a must have. As an Inuzuka, his nose was unrivaled by any other human. Naruto's was pretty strong, but Kiba's was stronger still. Further, the Kiba and Akamaru tag team would be very useful against Sakon and Ukon. Besides, he had a feeling that the only way to determine whether or not Gorre slept within these two was to have them fight a life-threatening battle.

Neji was also very necessary. With the strength of his Byakugan, and his unrivaled skills in the Juken, he was going to be a very strong asset, one that Naruto knew they couldn't do without. Hinata was pretty skilled in her family's art, but she had dropped the more advanced training in favor of learning to use her sword. And Naruto suspected that Fidchell lay dormant in Hinata's cousin. Neji was a must have as well.

Chouji was one of the heaviest hitters in the entire 'Rookie Twelve' as people had come to call them. While Naruto would have preferred Lee, he knew that Chouji would make up for the sacrifice they had to make. With Lee just out of surgery and unable to fight, Chouji was going to have to cut it, and Naruto knew he would.

Tenten was another good choice. Most of his other teammates were close-range fighters, unaccustomed to fighting a long-range enemy. Tenten, however, had the accuracy of a hawk, and she would undoubtedly prove useful against Kidomaru and his precious arrows. She was, ironically enough (considering how little dedication she had to appearance), the most likely candidate for Macha, the Temptress.

Shikamaru was the best strategist Naruto knew. Were he not already assigned the mission, Naruto would have picked Shikamaru to go as well. Regardless of why, Shikamaru was going, and Naruto was thankful. Shikamaru was the other Fidchell candidate.

Hinata. Naruto smiled. Hinata would have come whether he'd asked her to or not. She'd have deliberately disobeyed Tsunade to follow him if she'd had to, but she would have been coming on the mission. With her skills in Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Kenjutsu, she would have been his first pick, had the mission itself not been assigned to them both. Corbenik would be an amazing trump card, anyway.

"Right then," he said. They all looked at him, silent and waiting for their orders, "You all know why you're here, and you all know the task before us. Sasuke ran away. We're going to bring him back."

He pulled a piece of blank paper and a self-inking brush from his kunai pouch, channeling chakra to activate the brush. He drew a diagram, "This is how we'll line up. Kiba, you're first. You have the best nose in this group and you know our forests best. It's your job to lead us to the enemy. It's also your job to watch out for traps and snares.

"Shikamaru, you're next. With your Kagemane no Jutsu, you'll stop the enemy in their tracks, and you'll also have a good view of the situation. You're our thinker, our strategist. It's up to you to use any observations you make to come up with something to help us fight.

"Then it's me, then Hinata-chan. With our swords, we have a longer reach than the rest of you. We'll be able to strike anyone within that reach. We're also one of the best when it comes to teamwork, so it's a good idea for us to stay close to one another. They won't expect her and I to attack in perfectly synchronized movements.

"Then its Chouji. He's our heavy hitter. His clan's Taijutsu style should compensate for any lack of speed he possesses, and he'll be able to catch any of the enemies in a pincer attack with Tenten and Neji.

"After Chouji is Tenten, our sniper. Should one of our enemies be a long-range specialist, Tenten will have the best chance of defeating them. It's up to you, Tenten, to make sure that we can take down any of their snipers.

"Last is Neji. Neji, with your prowess with the Byakugan, you'll have the best vantage point of any of us. It's up to you to watch our backs. If anything comes at us from behind, or anyone tries to set an ambush ahead of us, you'll be able to tell us ahead of time."

He stopped channeling chakra and the ink on his brush disappeared, passing the paper to each of his teammates, "If we get separated, Tenten, you stick with Neji, and Shikamaru, you stick with Chouji. Kiba, stay with the group closest to you. Hinata and I are the last group. Everyone understand?"

Everyone nodded. Naruto rolled his shoulders, "All right, the most important thing is last. Some of you don't know Sasuke, some of you don't even like Sasuke. I won't lie to you, we're not on this mission to rescue a friend."

Several faces looked at him, alarmed. Naruto continued, "But Sasuke is a fellow Konoha Ninja, and we protect our own. Right now, he's headed into a very dangerous situation. It's our job to bring him back."

"Wow," Kiba grinned, "it looks like you _do_ deserve that Chûnin title!"

"Sasuke-san is in the darkness," Neji said quietly. "It's up to us to show him the light."

"I may not like him," Shikamaru admitted, "but it's the Leaf ninja way to take care of our comrades. Even I can't mess around on this one."

Munching on a bag of chips, Chouji gave him a thumbs-up. Tenten grinned, hands on her hips. She looked excited at the prospect of battle, her eyes dancing with an eagerness he didn't know she possessed.

"We'll succeed, Naruto-kun," Hinata smiled at him and his heart soared. "No matter what."

Setting his face into a determined stare, Naruto turned around to face the daunting forest in front of him. In a blur, all seven disappeared from their spots.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Three hours had passed quickly for the retrieval team as Kiba led them ceaselessly onward, chasing down the Sound Ninja that had taken Sasuke from his home in Konoha. Naruto was quickly becoming anxious, knowing from personal experience that Orochimaru was quite devious. There could be several traps waiting for them.

Kiba stopped for a moment, sniffing the air tentatively. Early on in the chase, he'd reported that the enemy was moving along the ground instead of in the trees. According to this information, the Sound Four were more accustomed to traveling on solid ground instead of through the foliage. That presented them with an advantage.

By traveling through the trees, they could move much more quickly and easily, as they had less to dodge around and watch out for. On the ground, a person would have to maneuver around tree trunks and other such obstacles. By moving _in_ said trees, they lessened the energy they needed to expend moving and cut their travel time at least in half.

"There was a fight nearby," Kiba reported stoically, voice quiet. "Those Sound Ninja got into a fight with some Leaf ninja probably on their way back from a mission. I can't tell who won, but it doesn't smell like anyone died."

"Let's ignore it," Naruto said firmly. "The only other Leaf ninja out on missions are Chûnin level and up, so they can take care of themselves. We need to get a move on and rescue Sasuke. The longer we stall, the more shortcuts we take, that's all the more chance they have to cross the border."

"Naruto's right," Neji said. "We needn't involve ourselves with other teams. They are fine, and our mission is still very important. We must continue moving."

"Right," Kiba nodded, and the group was off again.

As they continued forward, it soon became clear that the Oto nin were on guard. Several times, Neji and Hinata's Byakugan had barely caught them before falling into a trap. Twice, they had almost fell victim to explosive notes pasted to the trees in which they traveled. Thrice, they had barely dodged around wire traps that would've spelled their doom.

Finally, however, they found their target. A short distance away, they could all sense the presence of four stationary shinobi. What this meant for the retrieval team was that they had only a few more snares and such to maneuver around before they reached their target.

As they crept closer, they prepared to implement the strategy Naruto called 'Raisensô', or 'Lightning War'. The idea was to attack quickly and before the enemy was able to respond, thus crushing them instantly. Naruto and Hinata were the opening attack.

Naruto drew his sword, taking careful aim through the bushes, he whispered, "Rengeki."

He slammed his sword into the earth, watching as chunks of rock sped towards his enemies and Hinata leapt into action, "Do Ryû Sen!"

The four Sound ninja jumped out of the way of the projectiles as they flew forward, crashing into the trees and smashing bark and wood. Hinata fell from the sky, sword poised to strike. She came down on the fat one with a mighty slash, crying, "Ryû Tsui Sen!"

With a strangled cry, Jiroubou fell to the ground, motionless. Taking his cue, Shikamaru wrapped his arms around the girl, holding a kunai to her throat threateningly. Neji pressed a glowing fingertip to Kidomaru's head, Tenten following suit with a kunai, as if daring him to move. Kiba had Sakon in a half nelson, Chouji glaring at the pale teen with a bag of chips in his hands.

Naruto looked over at the box holding Sasuke, which sat over by a tree, then smirked at the Sound Four, "You lose."

His smirk slipped, however, as the four sound ninja melted into mud, and a voice called out as the earth around them shuddered, "Doton Kekkai: Doroudoumu!" (Earth Element Barrier: Clay Prison)

A dome of mud rose up around the retrieval team, trapping them inside its dark depths. As the walls closed, the coffin containing their errant comrade disappeared from view, once more in the clutches of the enemy. Naruto scowled deeply.

"I'll take care of these guys," Jiroubou's muffled voice declared. There was a pause, the other chakra signatures remaining motionless.

"Fine," came Sakon's voice, "just catch up when you're done. Don't take too long."

Jiroubou chuckled, feeling giddy as his comrades left him. He could feel so much chakra inside his little barrier, and soon, all of it would be his for the taking. It was like his birthday had come early, and he felt an eagerness creep into his body that soaked him to the bone. If he could prolong the Jutsu long enough, he might just gather enough chakra to dwarf Kimimaro.

Just beneath the surface, he felt it. A chakra reserve so massive that it made Orochimaru's look like a fresh Genin, just out of the Academy. It was bubbling, raging just below the edge of his perception, taunting him with its vastness. Its size was unrivaled, and he doubted that anyone would be able to match him if he acquired it for his own.

"You know," a voice called quietly. Jiroubou was only half-listening, "there is a limit to how much chakra you can absorb with this technique at one time. If I supply more chakra than your dome can handle, it'll break."

Jiroubou became alarmed as a bright light shown, dimmed though it was, shining through his barrier. The light condensed into a small, luminescent blue orb, still glowing with enough intensity for him to see it beyond a solid wall of densely packed earth.

"Sôkaton," the voice said, and Jiroubou recognized it as belonging to the blonde in white, "Rasengan."

There was an explosion and Jiroubou's dome was quickly destroyed as blue flames lit up the clearing. Jiroubou himself was blown backwards from the force of the shock wave, shielding his eyes to prevent blindness. He growled as the flash died down, glaring at the menace that had thwarted his plans.

Naruto stood at the front of the group, sizing up the largest and widest member of the Sound Four. He grinned, "Chouji, you stay here and take care of this fat bastard. The rest of us will go on ahead. Make sure to catch up."

In a blur, the retrieval team, minus Chouji, leapt back into the trees, pursuing the other members of the Sound Ninja squad. Jiroubou made to stop them, but Chouji was suddenly blocking him, a serious look on his face. His voice was cold as he said, "Your fight is with me."

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Jiroubou's late," Sakon commented calmly, unfazed by his comrade's tardiness. The only thing that would bother him about Jiroubou's defeat was that someone actually defeated the large nin.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about," Kidomaru said confidently. "Those Konoha bastards seemed pretty weak. They couldn't beat us during the invasion, what makes them capable of doing so now?"

"You're too confident, you stupid bastard," Tayuya glared at him. "Didn't you see what that blonde punk did to Orochimaru-sama during that invasion? And that white-eyed bitch busted through our barrier like it was nothing! I bet you that they make it past Jiroubou without a scratch."

"Wow," the three remaining Sound ninja spun around, staring at the blonde boy leaning up against a tree with his arms crossed, "I didn't know you were such a big fan, Tayuya-chan!"

"Damn it!" Sakon swore, hastily picking up Sasuke's coffin. "Kidomaru, hold them off! Tayuya, let's GO!"

As the remains of the retrieval team sprang from the trees and Sakon and Tayuya dashed away, Kidomaru's mouth bulged and he spat out a large, web-like substance, which quickly expanded into a sticky net. Pulling their swords loose, Naruto and Hinata cut it to pieces as their target escaped.

Kidomaru smirked, "Heh, not bad, for a bunch of swine. Let's play a little game."

Naruto looked between Sakon's group and Kidomaru as the latter started molding more of his special substance, eyes narrowing. He sheathed his sword, turning to follow the former, "Neji, Tenten, you guys think you can take care of him?"

Neji nodded and Tenten grinned excitedly. That was all the answer he needed, "Alright. When you're done, make sure to catch up. We're going to need all the help we can get if Orochimaru decides to pull out all the stops."

As soon as they acknowledged his order, Naruto took the rest of his team and leapt in the direction he'd last seen Tayuya move. Kidomaru had other ideas, however, and he wasn't about to let them ruin his mission.

"Not so fast!" he cackled, spitting out a large wad of his web. "The game's not over till I say so!"

Neji was immediately in front of the wad, slicing it to ribbons with his bare hands and a little chakra. He glared as Tenten pulled out some of her signature weapons, "Your fight is with me."

"Heh," Kidomaru chuckled, a cocky smirk on his lips, "you won't last three minutes."

Neji said nothing as he slid into his famous Taijutsu stance, the veins around his eyes bulging. A serious frown on his lips, he prepared for the toughest battle of his life. It would take all of his might to bring down Kidomaru.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

"Ugh!" Sakon looked back, glaring at his enemies. The Konoha team was shrinking as more of its members stayed behind to fight, but so was his own team, and it was quickly becoming evident that the Konoha team would outlast them. "Damn!"

He halted on a tree branch, tossing the large, cylindrical coffin to Tayuya, who caught it easily. He tensed in preparation, shouting angrily, "Take that to Orochimaru-sama! I'll put this nonsense to a stop, once and for all."

Tayuya nodded, "Don't die, idiot."

Without another word, she leapt away, the box containing Sasuke wrapped tightly in her grasp. She might not like Sakon and the others, but if they all died, then she'd be alone against a formidable group of opponents. That was a prospect that she wasn't too fond of.

The lazy one in the Chûnin vest she could take care of. She knew he was pretty smart, but she figured that he wouldn't stand a chance if he forced her to go all out. It was obvious he was more of a strategist than a fighter, so taking him down wouldn't be too hard.

It was the two from the Chûnin Exams that worried her. The blonde was easily one of the strongest people she'd ever known, including Orochimaru. She had a feeling that he wouldn't even have to try to beat her. His mind was sharp, and his skills were sharper. She'd not been kidding when she'd said that he'd make past Jiroubou without a scratch.

He terrified her. That was the only way to describe it. His power easily dwarfed her own, and she had a feeling that she'd only seen the surface of it during his fight atop the Hokage box. If the mask alone was only a portion of his power, then she feared for her life. He was a maelstrom of chakra.

Then there was that girl who was always with him. Tayuya fancied herself a pretty strong kunoichi, but even her power was as nothing to this girl. That white-eyed little girl had blown a hole clear through their barrier. Alone, that was something. But this girl had also defeated one of the dead Hokage that Orochimaru had summoned. _That_ was incredible. It also seemed quite impossible.

Tayuya nearly shivered. She did _not_ want to fight either of those two. She had a feeling that even Kimimaro would be defeated easily by the duo, killed before he could hope leave a mark. They were just that strong.

She glanced back, then redoubled her pace. Behind her were Shikamaru, Naruto, and Hinata, following at a speed that would quickly overrun her. If she didn't get a move on, she was _dead_.

Left to fight Kiba and Akamaru, Sakon grimaced as the remains of the retrieval team sped past him. He only hoped that, if these people were stronger than themselves, they would kill them rather than disable. He knew that Orochimaru would kill them if they returned empty handed.

With the current circumstances, failure was not an option. He needed to either kill the boy in front of him and go help Tayuya, or die in the effort, hopefully in a swift manner. Orochimaru would not tolerate the presence of his elite team if the Uchiha managed to escape or be taken back to Konoha.

He'd kill them all. Sakon knew that's what he'd do. Orochimaru wouldn't do such a thing quickly, either. He would personally torture them until they begged for death, then he'd have one of his medics heal them to perfection, only to torture them till they were at death's door again. That was his style. If you were lucky, he just might get angry enough to kill you on the spot.

That was how the Snake Sennin operated. Any weak links in the chain were cut savagely, then crushed beneath his heel. If you disappointed him, your life was forfeit, and you weren't worth the dust that was cleaned from his table every week. If he wanted you dead, you were destined to meet your end.

Even he, a minor subordinate, however, knew that Orochimaru wasn't the strongest ninja in the world. He'd played witness to the power that others held. The blonde boy chasing after Sasuke rivaled Orochimaru in power, even when the Otogakure leader was at his best. He could only hope that Uzumaki Naruto had mercy, and killed his enemies quickly.

"Well," he drawled, prepared to fight to the end, "let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

Kiba merely grinned in response, his fangs glinting in the noon sun. Akamaru barked encouragingly, teeth bared in a vicious snarl.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Neji panted, standing back to back with Tenten as he waited for his enemy to make the next move. Tenten was panting as well, her torso heaving as she sucked in air, and he could feel her ribcage expand as she breathed. Even she, with her weapons so numerous and her aim perfect, had been unable to defeat the slippery Kidomaru.

"Heh, heh, you're better than I thought," Kidomaru chuckled, voice echoing throughout the small clearing. "You managed to last ten minutes, and despite my best efforts, are mostly unwounded."

There was a metallic ping as Tenten deflected a few of the six-armed ninja's custom kunai knives with some of her own shuriken. The four shuriken became embedded in several trees, while the five golden kunai sank into the ground with a soft thump, rendered useless by the girl's skill.

That was how the majority of the battle had been going. Every time Kidomaru threw kunai at them, Tenten would deflect them with some of hers, and every time Kidomaru used his web, Neji would cut it with his skills in Juken. Were it not for how tired they were becoming, the battle would be a stalemate.

What it all came down to was that Neji and Tenten weren't strong enough, and that stung. Badly.

Neji had had himself pegged as one of the strongest members of the retrieval team, right behind Naruto and Hinata. He could easily maneuver around Shikamaru's Kagemane no Jutsu, simply because he was faster and had longer reach. The Genin turned Chûnin would stand no chance against his high-speed Juken.

Kiba would have been no challenge at all. Sure, the Genin had some measure of skill and cunning, but it wasn't enough to beat Neji. The moment Kiba tried his Gatsuuga, Neji would use the Kaiten to deflect it, thereby blocking such an attempt. Kiba's smoke bomb trick wouldn't work either, as it couldn't block Neji's Byakugan. Kiba didn't stand a chance.

Chouji would have been an interesting opponent, with his family expansion Jutsu making it difficult for Neji to get a clear shot in. Ultimately, thought, Neji would have probably found a way around it and defeated the heavyset Shinobi. And Tenten had never been able to beat him in their spars, either.

What it came down to was that Neji was the third strongest member of the retrieval team. He should have no trouble trouncing his enemy, as his Byakugan would allow him to find the Sound ninja with ease, and kill him once he got in close. That's how easy it should have been.

But it wasn't.

As it turned out, Neji wasn't strong enough to face down Kidomaru, simply because Kidomaru somehow hid from the Byakugan and used long range weaponry to attack him. What it all came down to was that Neji wasn't capable of defeating him as he was now. And that really bothered him.

"_Why?"_ he mentally asked, eyes narrowed in frustration. _"Why can't I defeat him?"_

"Damn it!" he and Tenten swore simultaneously. "Why aren't I strong enough?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the world around Neji disappeared and he was engulfed by a blackness that not even his Byakugan could see through. There was no floor, but he was somehow standing, on what, he had not clue. A deep voice was chanting something, and he had to strain his ears to understand it.

"_With the Wave, Fidchell, the power to tell the dark future, hope darkens, sadness and despair rule."_

"So," Neji nearly jumped as a single orange orb lit up in front of him, a deep, rich baritone calling out to him, "the time has come. Come, young prophet, it is time I join my brethren."

With a flash of light, Neji was once more in the real world, letting out a gasp as his breath returned. He watched in shock as his injuries vanished and stood straighter as his energy rekindled, flooding his veins with newfound strength. Feeling something on his face, Neji reached up to grasp at it.

It was a mask of some sort, and it covered his right eye as well as his cheek. It was a circular disk with an eyehole, a semicircle consisting of six flat spikes that pointed up, down, and to the right of his eye. Tentatively, he channeled chakra through it, and nearly gasped again as a vision lit up in front of his eyes.

Kidomaru, twisted and morphed nearly beyond recognition, pulled back on a huge bow, a single, large metal arrow notched at the string. He let go, and screamed a single word as the deadly spike sped for his enemies. Neji could clearly see the arrow's path, _"Die!"_

Kidomaru's voice echoed, "Die!"

Neji spun around, pushing the arrow to the side slightly with his palm. He quickly grabbed the web-like thread connected to it, knowing the other end was inside of Kidomaru. A feminine hand overlapped his, and together, he and Tenten threw as much chakra as they dared into it. He watched with his Byakugan as it traveled at amazing speeds towards his enemy.

There was a scream and he smirked, the mask around his eye dissipating, as he knew Kidomaru was dead. He looked over at his companion and felt his jaw nearly unhinge. Tenten stood before him, but she seemed different. There was an allure to her that was purely feminine, one that hadn't been there before, and the only thought that passed through his head was a simple one.

"_She's beautiful."_

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Kiba watched, horror in his gaze, as Akamaru fell towards the hard earth, injured by Sakon and Ukon. His companion had taken the blow to protect him from his enemy, despite the fact that he would have to suffer a potentially fatal injury. Kiba would have rather bitten off his own tongue.

The battle seemed hopeless, to an extent that Kiba wasn't so sure he should have stayed to fight these guys. Initially, he'd thought it was going to be a two on one fight, since the guy had only started out as one person. With Akamaru at his side, it should have been easy to beat the guy into submission.

But then something strange had happened.

Sakon, the original Sound ninja, had been cut down the middle by one of Kiba's attacks, and was split into two, leaving Sakon and Ukon. Kiba had immediately been confused. How the hell had Ukon managed to escape detection by Kiba? Was it something he was capable of doing? Was it some special skill?

Things had started to get more difficult after that. With the battle two on two instead of two on one, it quickly became evident that Sakon and Ukon were better at working together than Kiba and Akamaru were. That was the problem right there.

Kiba had known that he wasn't the strongest or the smartest ninja in the group that made up the Sasuke retrieval team, but he had figured that, while he wasn't as smart as Shikamaru, he could still beat both him and Chouji into a pulp. He was simply stronger than those two ninja, and that's how it had been.

He'd known he wasn't as strong as Tenten or Neji, they were a whole year ahead of him. Their skills outclassed him entirely, as Tenten would've turned him into a pincushion and Neji was capable of countering his every move. He hadn't held any delusions of beating them in any type of contest.

Naruto and Hinata were in a league of their own. Out of the retrieval team, Naruto, Hinata, and Neji were capable of being Jounin as they were. There weren't any skills or strategies that they needed to learn in order to advance. Kiba knew he couldn't take Naruto and Hinata down, and he acknowledged that they were stronger.

Still, that put him at number five, the fifth strongest member of the team. While number five out of seven wasn't necessarily the best position in the group, it was still better than dead last. He shouldn't have too much trouble with an enemy group like this. He should've still been able to best at least one of their members.

It was that confidence that had set him up for his fall. He had thought that the two-headed wolf technique would've made up for the difference in strength that had become apparent after Sakon and Ukon split, but it hadn't, and Akamaru was paying for his mistake.

"Akamaru!" he shouted, jumping up and scooping his puppy out of the air. He held his best friend's body close to him as he began his descent, wishing there was some way to defeat this daunting enemy. He braced himself for impact with the hard ground, but it never came.

"My, my," a voice said in a light tone, "you look like you need some help!"

Kiba opened his eyes, surrounded by darkness. Two pairs of glowing green orbs circled him, dancing around his form.

"He does, he does!" another called, slightly deeper than the other. "Should we lend a hand?"

"Let's, let's!" the first voice cried jubilantly.

There was a flash and Kiba was once more in the real world, falling through the air. He twisted, landing in a kneel on his feet. His body glowed with neon green glyphs that snaked up his skin, an aura surrounding him as power flooded his body. He whirled around, Akamaru still in his arms, as his form slowly shifted, growing larger and more animalistic with every second.

There was a brilliant flash of light, then, where Kiba had once stood, there was a large, two-headed beast, one that vaguely resembled a wolf. It was nearly as tall at the Snake summon, Manda, were the great serpent a mammal. As each head let out a savage roar, four shining green orbs that vaguely resembled eyes turned to glare at Sakon and Ukon.

An instant before they died, the two brothers shared one more moment of unity as they thought, _"Oh shit."_

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto's lips formed a thin line as he stared at his opponent, Hinata at his side. He had come prepared to face this particular enemy, knowing that such a man could be a powerful ally. The Kyubi had agreed, nearly salivating at the potential the white-haired boy held. Shikamaru was fighting Tayuya.

Kimimaro glared at him in a way that Naruto had thought only Sasuke could, with his eyes still in that bored, half-lidded state. His voice was firm, "I will not allow you to interrupt Orochimaru-sama's plans."

"Tell me, Kimimaro-san," Naruto started respectfully, knowing that he could not approach Kimimaro with a rude attitude, "what is it that you see in Orochimaru?"

Kimimaro's eyes narrowed, "Orochimaru-sama cares for me. Even if I die, a piece of me will always live on inside of him."

Hinata nearly snorted, "If you truly believe that, Kimimaro-san, you are a fool."

Kimimaro glared at her. Naruto brought attention back onto himself before the Kaguya progeny could respond, "She's right. How long have you had your Tuberculosis, Kimimaro-san? Do you know how easy it would have been for a medic of Kabuto's caliber to heal such a disease?"

The first traces of doubt entered the teen's eyes, and Naruto took advantage of it, "Do you know why he wouldn't? I'll tell you. The reason Kabuto wouldn't heal you, Kimimaro, is that Orochimaru only has eyes for the Uchiha. Getting the Sharingan is the only thing he cares about. You're a pawn, to be tossed aside when he no longer needs you."

"No!" Kimimaro shouted. "You're wrong! Orochimaru-sama! He — !"

In a flash, Hinata stood in front of him, flipping through numerous hand seals. She stopped on snake, thrusting her glowing blue palms into Kimimaro's unprepared chest, "Hijutsu: Yasashii Amaterasu: Hageshii Kiyome!" (Secret Art: Gentle Sun Goddess: Violent Purge)

Kimimaro keeled over, coughing as Hinata supported his weight. He coughed up two large chunks, which sizzled and burned as soon as they hit the ground. Hinata flitted through several more hand seals as he began to gasp for breath, "Yasashii Amaterasu: Subayai Kaifuku!" (Gentle Sun Goddess: Rapid Restoration)

Hands glowing blue, she pressed them up against his chest again, and soon, began to breathe evenly and easily. As he once more stood on his own power, albeit shakily, he looked at her in confusion, "What?"

"Those two lumps you coughed up were the parts of your lungs infected with Tuberculosis," she told him gently. "After that, I replaced them with healthy tissue. To put it simply, you're healed."

"But, why?" he asked quietly.

"I need allies, Kimimaro," Naruto told him. "I need people I can count on when things are bad. Now I'm giving you a choice."

Kimimaro looked at him, surprised.

"You can go back to Orochimaru, cured and capable of furthering his plans much more efficiently," Naruto held up one finger, then another. "Or, you can become my friend and ally, help me make the world a better place, and come back to Konoha with us, where you'll make more friends than you can count."

"I…" Kimimaro stuttered. He kneeled, lowering his head submissively, "I am yours to do with as you please."

Gripping Kimimaro's shoulder, Naruto pulled him up, smiling, "My friends don't kneel before me. They stand on equal ground."

Kimimaro smiled, then collapsed into Naruto's arms, unconscious. Gently, he handed the older boy to Hinata, telling her, "Take him back to Konoha. I've got to find Sasuke."

Nodding, Hinata leapt back into the trees and towards Konoha. Naruto headed in the opposite direction, towards the Valley of the End, where everything would be settled, once and for all.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Naruto frowned as he walked over the hard but smooth stone, his bright blue eyes glaring at his opponent. This was it, the very event that he had tried to avoid at all costs, the event that had caused his time travel in the first place. He felt the anxiety flow through his veins, trying to relax himself. Despite knowing he was stronger, there was still a small part of him that feared dying against Sasuke.

He recognized the scenery immediately, and could probably recognize it in his sleep, though he wasn't too keen to try such a thing out. By sound alone, he could recognize the place at which he stood. The roaring waterfall, the deafening sound of running water. The soft clap as his sandals hit the stone statue. It was all too familiar.

The Valley of the End, where the Shodai Hokage fought and sacrificed his life to defeat the legendary Uchiha Madara. The river, valley, cliff, waterfall, and statues were a testament to the titanic battle, a true battle of skills. The Shodai had died, but Uchiha Madara had disappeared from the world, supposed dead and gone.

Atop the stone visage of the Shodai's head, Naruto shouted firmly, "Sasuke!"

The blue clad boy across from him didn't move for a few seconds, then he turned slowly, his eyes calm. His hitai-ate was missing, placed gently in his pocket, Naruto knew. Coal black eyes stared at him impassively, "Naruto."

He looked away, a bored expression on his face, "Go back home."

"I'm not leaving without you, Sasuke," Naruto scowled, his voice carrying over the roar of the waterfall. "You're coming back with me."

Sasuke frowned, "No, I'm not. I'm going to Orochimaru to get this Curse under control."

"Idiot!" Naruto growled. "Why do you think Orochimaru sent his top four ninja after you? It sure wasn't to invite you for tea!"

"I know that," Sasuke deadpanned, "but I'll be fine. I need to learn to control this curse, and that is what's most important."

"Control the curse?" Naruto mimed, somewhat relieved. "But Jiraiya could—"

"Jiraiya-sama could do nothing," Sasuke interjected. "You sealed this mark, Naruto, and you're the strongest ninja I know. All Jiraiya-sama could do is sit and ogle your work. You know this as well as I."

Naruto scowled, knowing that Sasuke's words held some measure of truth, "I don't care. I'm taking you back whether you want to or not!"

Naruto flipped through a series of hand seals, his fingers a blur, "Even if I have to break every bone in your body!"

He jumped as he landed on the last seal, tiger, and took a deep breath, exhaling, "Sôkaton: Amaterasu no Sôen!" (Azure Flames of the Sun Goddess)

A stream of blue fire burst forth, aimed at Sasuke. The Uchiha heir jumped out of the way, going through hand seals and watching as the flames dissipated against the hard rock of Madara's hair. He stopped on tiger, locking his gaze on the spot where he'd previously been standing, "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

The fireball rushed down as Naruto landed, consuming him in a fiery blaze that could easily fry skin and flesh. Sasuke allowed a look of grim satisfaction to grace his features, knowing that Naruto would not be killed so easily. He was right, but shock crossed his face as something unexpected happened. Something he'd only seen once before.

With a flick of Naruto's wrist, the flames around the blonde abated, turning a brilliant azure as they licked his feet harmlessly. Sasuke's mouth fell open as he landed further up the statue, his black eyes wide with shock. He recognized such a skill, as he'd cursed the ability plenty of times in his head.

Somehow, Naruto had learned to control fire the way Azure Kite had. Sasuke had hated that skill, as it mocked his fire style abilities ruthlessly. Azure Kite had negated one of his strongest attacks with nothing more that a flick of his wrist, and had done so almost lazily. Now, Naruto had the same ability.

Sasuke scowled, three black tomoes spinning as crimson bled into his irises. He flashed through more seals as Naruto followed his lead, copying him perfectly. The water in the river churned as they finished, stopping on the final seal to shout out their attack in unison, "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"

Two water dragons rose up, one from the top of the waterfall, and one from below it. The dragons grappled with one another, twisting and turning as they tried to outdo the other. They landed back in the river with a splash, soaking Naruto and Sasuke to the bone. The two combatants glared, the Sharingan spinning.

Naruto disappeared with a soft swoosh, the noise barely audible. Sasuke's eyes widened as he recognized the skill, having been not only privy to its use, but knowing the technique himself, _"Shunpo!"_

He spun around, launching a punch at his slippery opponent, "No you don't!"

Naruto brushed the punch aside with his right arm, landing a hard palm strike in Sasuke's chest. Sasuke was knocked backwards, eyes wide as he realized something. _"He's mixing the Uchiha's Taijutsu with the Hyuga's Juken?"_

He flipped, righting himself in midair, and landed in a crouch, lips drawn tight. He hadn't really realized it before, but Naruto was a ninja on par with the greatest of the great. He'd always assumed that he and Naruto were pretty much equal, but it seemed that Naruto was a genius, if of a different kind. Naruto was a genius of making things work for himself, even if no one else could.

Sôkaton and this new Taijutsu style were prime examples of that special type of genius.

Naruto disappeared again, and Sasuke wasn't fast enough to dodge the blow that came, knocking him of the statue and towards the center of the waterfall. He closed his eyes and grimaced, waiting for the impact to come. It didn't.

Naruto grabbed Sasuke around the middle, building up the Kyubi's chakra as they fell towards the water. He focused on the picture in his mind, manipulating the chakra just right. A different waterfall appeared behind his eyelids, and he grasped at the image with all his might.

"Susano'o!" he called, grasping at his cousin. "Shift the tide of time and space, open my path!"

In a flash of red, the two of them disappeared from the Valley of the End without a trace.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

A flash of red light lit up the sky, quickly disappearing as two figures fell from it. The first, clad in white, pushed away from his fellow, landing atop one of the thin metal spires in the area. His opponent, clad in blue, landed on the water, jumping back until he too stood on one of the metal spires.

"What the?" Sasuke whispered, staring at the area around himself. A waterfall, easily six times the size of the Valley of the End, and several thin, metal spires cutting it into sections, was what met his eyes. The sky was painted orange in what seemed to be an eternal sunset. "Where the hell?"

"Welcome, Sasuke," Naruto called over the roar of the waterfall, "to Arche Koeln Falls, the Land of Origin."

Naruto's eyes were sharp and cold, despite the warm red of his irises, "You can't escape from here. We're no longer in the Elemental Countries."

Sasuke looked at him, alarmed, "What?!"

"This is the nexus point of all worlds," Naruto explained. "Each and every universe connects to this one place, but only those who know how can come here."

Sasuke glared, "Fine! I'll just beat you, and find a way out on my own!"

"Now," Naruto seemed not to have heard him as he ran down his spire, flashing through hand very familiar hand seals, "let's get this show on the road!"

He put his fingers to his lips in a way that Sasuke knew very well and blew, releasing seven small, azure fireballs, "Sôkaton: Hôsenka no Jutsu!"

Sasuke jumped as the first one hit the tip of his spire, twisting in midair to dodge the next two. He did a flip so that he started to fall feet first, then bent back to let the fourth fireball pass over his torso. He twisted again to dodge the fifth, then a spinning flip to dodge the last two. He landed, Sharingan whirling.

Naruto was already in front of him, landing a punch square in his face. He went flying, skipping several times along the water's surface before he stopped with a splash, sinking a few feet as he reeled from the strength his opponent had. After a few seconds, he floated back up to the surface, staring at the orange sky.

After a moment of hesitation, Sasuke stood back up, climbing atop the water. He glared as his hand reached backwards and he pulled out his sword, brandishing Sakuhime against the blonde boy across from him. Solemnly, it seemed, Naruto drew his sword as well.

In a blur, they were upon each other again, Sasuke swinging straight down and Naruto slashing up diagonally. Their swords met halfway in a clash of steel, the two silvery blades pushing against one another. Absently, Sasuke noted that Naruto's sword now looked like a regular katana, if with a slightly smaller curve to the blade.

They pushed away from one another, backing up several feet to glare into each other's eyes. Sasuke didn't even bother with the illusory abilities of his doujutsu, knowing that Naruto's Sharingan would negate them anyway. He nearly growled in frustration.

Naruto saw it before he even moved, Sasuke coming at him with a vicious stab. He could see the path of the blade before his cousin even came close enough to hit him, and ducked beneath it, holding his own sword up as his opponent's steel shot over his head. There was a screech as steel ground against steel.

Pushing up, Naruto watched as Sasuke stumbled backwards, his balance lost. Naruto sheathed his sword, grasping the saya and the hilt. With Sasuke so close, it would be impossible to dodge. He shifted his grip, then unleashed his technique, unsheathing his sword with a slash.

Despite his loss of balance, Sasuke righted himself quickly, ducking under Naruto's battoujustu strike. He was just about to capitalize on the opening the attack left when his eyes alerted him to the blonde's next move and Zangetsu's sheath came speeding towards him in a crushing strike.

There was a loud thud-like crack and Naruto stared at his cousin with disbelief. Sasuke bit his lip to hold back a loud moan, blood on his tongue from such efforts. His eyes were narrowed as he tried to block out the pain.

Sasuke had managed to block the second strike in Naruto's Sou Ryû Sen, his two-part Hiten Mitsurugi battoujutsu technique. Instead of letting it strike his right shoulder, its intended target, he had held up his right arm, blocking the solid sheath with his forearm. From the sound the impact made and the pain reaching up the limb, Sasuke guessed it to be almost broken.

That's when he decided to up the ante. It was obvious that Naruto would eventually overwhelm him, or at least fight him to a draw, if he continued to use the same skills and power. So he dug deep into himself, reaching to the recesses of his strength, and pulled on the very thing he had tried to get rid of.

Black markings crept across Sasuke's face, left arm, and left leg, the whites of his left eye turning completely black. The pain left him as any injuries on his body mended themselves, healing him without fail. He looked into the eyes of his surprised cousin, scowling deeply.

The two leapt apart from one another, each taking to one of the spires as they sheathed their swords. The gazed into one another's eyes and nodded, silently agreeing to end the fight in one climactic clash. They would determine, once and for all in Sasuke's mind, which of them was stronger than the other.

Sasuke flipped through three quick hand seals, holding his left hand as chakra funneled into it and lit up, lightning dancing around his palm. He held it to his side, slightly surprised when it didn't dig into the metal of the spire he was standing on. He called out the name of his Jutsu, "Chidori!"

Naruto gathered chakra into his hand, spinning it as it formed into an orb above his palm. The chakra shifted from its whitish color into a deep azure, a flaming aura lighting up around it to form what appeared to be a ball of flames. Naruto held it off to the side, ready to charge as he calmly named his Jutsu, "Sôkaton: Rasengan."

At an unspoken signal, they both rushed down the side of their respective spire, dashing across the water as the landed upon it. They streaked towards one another, thrusting their attacks toward each other as they shouted their techniques once more.

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!"

There was an explosion as they clashed, and both were sent flying in the direction they had come from. Naruto flipped in midair, landing and sticking to the side of his spire with chakra. Sasuke wasn't so fortunate, and collided, back first, with the metal spire he had come from. He was barely conscious as he hit it.

"Why?" he asked as Naruto stood over him, grasping him by the shirt. "Why did you stop me?"

"Because, Sasuke," Naruto's Sharingan swirled and blended, forming a shape that alarmed Sasuke's hazy mind, "this is what would have happened."

The world melted away and Sasuke was suddenly standing in Konoha again, but there was something different about the great ninja village. The difference was huge, and he couldn't help the bile that rose in his throat as horror flooded his veins.

It was demolished.

The once great Konohagakure no Sato was in shambles, the Hokage monument beaten beyond recognition to the point that none of the faces had any human features. Buildings burned in the night sky, and the smell of rotting and cooked flesh permeated the ground. There were no screams of pain and terror. Everyone was dead.

Sasuke recoiled at the sight of the bodies, piled together all over the place and left to decompose. Their eyes were wide and blank, their faces frozen in silent screams as they met their end gruesomely. Their gazes seemed to blame him, as if he had killed them.

A chuckle resounded, and Sasuke turned towards the noise to see himself studying Sakura's dead body. The other him continued to chuckle, "My, this was easy. Sasuke-kun, your body is simply magnificent."

His eyes widened as he realized it. Orochimaru had stolen his body and destroyed Konoha, killing his beloved…

"_NO!"_ he shouted mentally, covering his ears and shutting his eyes. "I didn't want this to happen!"

"Do you see now, Sasuke?" Sasuke opened his eyes, Naruto's blue ones boring into his. He was in the real world again. "This what would happen if you joined Orochimaru."

"Naruto…" Sasuke whispered weakly, his consciousness fading, "take me…home."

He slipped into bliss as his eyes closed again. Naruto smiled grimly. The crisis had been averted, and he didn't have to worry anymore.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," or so he thought. Naruto whipped around to find the source of the familiar voice, and found Ovan standing atop one of the spires nearest him. He felt his mouth fall open, then snarled at his enemy as the glasses wearing man simply smiled.

A hand seal later, a single shadow clone stood next to him and he handed Sasuke to it with the command, "Take him to the Temple."

Ovan merely smiled as Naruto glared at him, commenting, "My, my. You're quite angry, aren't you? But…it's such a weak anger."

"This time, I'll make sure you're dead," Naruto said coldly. He unsheathed his sword, "If you want to say anything, I'll ask your heart directly!"

In a blur, Naruto stood in front of his enemy, swinging his sword, "I won't let you summon your Avatar!"

Ovan grabbed his sword arm at the wrist, "You'll have to do better than that!"

Twisting Naruto's arm, Ovan grabbed Zangetsu, slashing at Naruto with an amazing amount of skill. Naruto ducked and dodged, trying to look for an opening, but could find none as Ovan pressed the attack. As they fight continued, Ovan's precision got suspiciously better.

Finally, catching Naruto by surprise, Ovan punched him, stunning the blonde boy by the sudden break of pattern. Ovan capitalized on it, bringing his stolen sword down in a vertical slash. Naruto held his hands up, braced for the deadly cut, but it never came.

Naruto opened his eyes, and resting in his right hand was a sword made of glowing red energy, the smooth hilt colored black. It was an energy sword the likes of which Naruto had only seen on Skeith. Ovan's eyes lit up, and he pulled the sword back for another blow.

Naruto lashed out with his new weapon as Ovan attacked again, his sword piercing through Ovan's guard and then through his chest, the stolen Zangetsu once more resting in its sheath. Naruto looked at him, alarmed, "Why did you—?"

"Now, Naruto-kun!" Ovan said excitedly, ignoring the unfinished query. "Say those glorious words! Those words that shall set me free!"

Naruto hesitated for only a second, "Drain Heart!"

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen as the sword pulsed once, and both of them stood still as they waited for something to happen. Then Ovan smiled and pushed Naruto away, a faint glow about him. As his energy blade dissipated, Naruto looked at his enemy, confused.

"Thank you," Ovan said shakily, and it was then that Naruto noticed that his opponent's glasses began to crack, mirroring the skin beneath it. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Ovan snapped his fingers and, as the world began to melt around him, Naruto saw a blue orb exit Ovan's chest, glowing dangerously. With one last smile from Ovan, Naruto disappeared from the world of Arche Koeln.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

It was over, the mission was complete. Sasuke had been found and retrieved, the Sound Four were dead and gone, and Orochimaru's plot had been foiled. Chouji was the only one from the retrieval team to suffer a life threatening injury, and from his own soldier pill, not from a wound the enemy had inflicted.

Neji had unlocked the power of Fidchell, the Prophet. With its power to see into the future, he had killed Kidomaru. There had already been talk amongst the Council, the Hyuga elders, and the Hokage about promoting him to Jounin so that his skills weren't hindered by such a low level rank. Such an increase in ability would surely warrant a more serious consideration.

Tenten had also unlocked the power of an Avatar. Though she hadn't used the creature's special abilities, Macha had provided a necessary boost in energy, one that she had needed in her battle against Kidomaru with Neji. ANBU, after hearing of her weapons skills, had started to consider recruiting her.

Kiba and Akamaru had unlocked their hidden powers as well, and they had used them to easily crush their enemies amongst the Sound Four. Gorre the Machination had provided them with the boost in power they had needed to kill Sakon and Ukon, the 'Siamese twins' as Kiba had taken to calling them.

Hinata had proven herself as well, and showed not one but two of her original medic Jutsu, using them to cure Kimimaro of his Tuberculosis and grow healthy lung tissue to replace the diseased lung tissue she had destroyed. With her help, Kimimaro had been convinced to return to Konoha, where he would be allowed to become a ninja worthy of respect.

Naruto sighed. And Ovan was finally dead, according to Skeith. With the awakening of the last three Avatars, the beast had told him informed him, before assuring him that this was the last such mental contact they would have outside of battle, that Ovan could finally die. Skeith had said that Cubia wouldn't cease to be unless all the Avatars had awoken. Then, he could be killed, but only by Skeith.

It must have been a miserable existence, Naruto knew, to watch all those you cared about die of old age while you had to wait for the right person to come along and kill you. He could understand all of the plots and schemes Ovan had used now that he knew of Cubia's temporary immortality. After all, he wouldn't have been able to kill the man without that added motivation.

Naruto looked up as the open gates of Konoha came closer, Sasuke slung over his shoulder, and his eyes widened as he saw a familiar figure standing right in the middle where the two doors met when closed. The figure smiled.

Azure blue hair, chocolate brown eyes, white clothes and a purple sash tied around his waist. Geta lifted his bare feet off the ground and he waved, his youthful tone light and happy, "Hello again, Naruto-kun! Surprised to see me?"

Naruto grinned at Keyaki's small form, lifting one arm to wave back. Things were definitely looking up.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

_**Credits:**_

**Story:  
James D. Fawkes — Masashi Kishimoto**

**Character Design:  
James D. Fawkes — Masashi Kishimoto  
Nobuhiro Watsuki — Tite Kubo  
Cyber Connect Corp.**

**The Avatars:  
James D. Fawkes — Cyber Connect Corp.**

**Costume Design:  
James D. Fawkes — Masashi Kishimoto  
Nobuhiro Watsuki — Namco Bandai  
Cyber Connect Corp. — Tite Kubo**

**Weapon Design:  
James D. Fawkes — Namco Bandai  
Nobuhiro Watsuki — Tite Kubo  
Masashi Kishimoto — Cyber Connect Corp.**

**Kenjutsu Styles:  
Nobuhiro Watsuki — Masashi Kishimoto**

**Backgrounds/Settings:  
Masashi Kishimoto — James D. Fawkes  
Namco Bandai — Cyber Connect Corp.  
Tite Kubo**

**Opening Theme "Gravity":  
Maaya Sakamoto**

**Chapter Five Theme "Tattoos on the Sky":  
Masakazu Morita**

**Chapter Six Theme "Circle of Life":  
Elton John**

**Chapter Seven Theme "Liminality":  
See Saw**

**Chapter Eight Theme "Fateful Meeting":  
Ikeda Kou**

**Chapter Nine Theme "Simple and Clean":  
Utada Hikaru**

**Chapter Ten Theme "Alumina":  
Nightmare**

**Chapter Eleven Theme "Shinjitsu no Yukue":  
Tomoyo Mitani**

**Ending Theme "Yasashii Ryoute":  
Tomoyo Mitani**

**Background Music:  
Chikayo Fukuda — Toushiro Masuda  
Shiro Sagisu**

**Plot:  
James D. Fawkes — Masashi Kishimoto  
Cyber Connect Corp.**

**Based on the popular Manga by Masashi Kishimoto**

**Cast (Voice Actors):  
Uzumaki Naruto — Vic Mignogna  
Hyuga Hinata — Stephanie Sheh  
Uchiha Sasuke — Yuri Lowenthal  
Kyubi no Yoko — Paul St. Peter  
Hyuga Hiashi — John DeMita  
Hyuga Hanabi — Stephanie Sheh  
Hyuga Neji — Steve Staley  
Hatake Kakashi — Dave Wittenburg  
Sabaku no Gaara — Liam O'Brien  
Rock Lee — Brian Donovan  
Haruno Sakura — Kate Higgins  
Nara Shikamaru — Tom Gibis  
Yamanaka Ino — Colleen O'Shaughnessey  
Inuzuka Kiba— Kyle Hebert  
Sarutobi "Sandaime" — Steve Kramer  
Jiraiya — David Lodge  
Tsunade — Tiffany Vollmer  
Orochimaru — Steven Jay Bloom  
And various others…**

**Special Thanks to:  
Ceria Halcyon —— Sdarian  
ShadowBack —— Adran06  
Endermon —— Major Hinata Fan  
Silver Warrior —— Akira Stridder  
Infinite Freedom —— ShadowDragonGX  
Dragon Man 180 —— Alucius  
Static44 —— VFSNAKE  
Ero-kun —— taintedlegacy  
KUNAI SHOT —— battousai222  
the DragonBard —— vnvanman  
Burnning Truth —— Shinobi Alchemist  
TheMagicPen —— Boby09**

**Dedicated to my girlfriend, whom I love very much, the inspiration for all of the romance in Volume 3…**

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

_Tsumetai te ni hiki yoserare  
nagarete yuku toki o sugoshi  
tooku o mita sono hitomi ni  
nani ga utsurutte iru no darou?_

_Tsuki ga terasu tsumetai yubi ni  
koboreta no wa tsumetai namida  
miageta sora itsuka no yume ga  
tooku de mitsumete iru_

_Kurayami ni te o sashi nobete  
koko kara wa mou modorenai  
ki ga tsukeba kioku no naka ni  
tozasareta watashi ga mieta_

_Shinjiteitai anata ga kuru no o  
Itsu no hi ka koko de meguriau made  
Kanjiteitai toki ga tomaru made  
Atatakai te de watashi ni furete_

_Garasu no ori ni torawareteita  
tokenai omoi kizutsuita mama  
modoru koto nai kurayami no mukou  
hikari ga yasashiteiru darou_

_Kitto mata koboreru hikari  
atatakaku tsutsunde kureru  
genjitsu kara nigeyou to shite  
daiji na mono_

_Shinjiteitai anata ga kuru no o  
Itsu no hi ka koko de meguriau made  
Kanjiteitai toki ga tomaru made  
Atatakai te de watashi ni furete_

_Tsumetai te ni hiki yoserare  
nagarete yuku toki o sugoshi  
tooku o mita sono hitomi ni  
nani ga utsurutte iru no darou?_

_nani ga utsurutte iru no darou?_

_**Tsudzuku…**_

**Alright! Here it is, the final chapter in A Simple Change: The Sharingan Volume 2: Reminisce. Stay tuned for Volume 3: Redemption.**

**Forty-five pages!**

**Please review!**

"**If you want to say anything, I'll ask your heart directly!" Could someone translate this into Japanese for me?**

**Damn! Itachi's too cool! I couldn't lump him in with the rest of Akatsuki! For those who wanted to see Itachi die…sorry! But Itachi is too damn cool! Arg! His coolness is overwhelming!**

**Oh, BTW, Vic Mignogna is the guy who voices Ed Elric in the Fullmetal Alchemist Anime. I thought Naruto deserved to have a cooler voice, and Yuri Lowenthal was already taken, so I gave him Ed's voice.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, (Dot) Hack, or Bleach**

_**Môsugu kare ga yattekuru...togeru tame ni…**_

**James Daniel Godric Fawkes**

_James Daniel Godric Fawkes_**(Signature best viewed in **_**Wendy Medium**_** font style)**

You're gonna carry that weight…


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